Part 2: It Never Ends : Haunting the present
by Soyna
Summary: The Final chapter!! THIS STORY IS NOW COMPLETE!! Meet the newest member of the Z family... (of course, keep watching for Part 3!!)
1. Prelude

The sequel to my long saga of It Never Ends. I know it is very long but I do recommend reading it to fully understand this story. This little part starts the placement for the story's beginning.  
  
I hope you all enjoy this new saga that I am writing (hey, I noticed that fluffy stopped reviewing my other story... where could she be??) Anyway... this is short, but you know that it will get longer, all my loyal and reviewing fans!  
  
  
It Never Ends  
Part 2  
Haunting the Present  
  
Prelude  
  
  
Things had changed for the better.  
  
The families that were destined to separate were now permanently joined together. They all lived in a place they now just called the compound. A large compound with a house for each family and various areas for training and relaxation.  
  
The nature of the families was changed forever. Linked by marriages that were not foreseen and still not all together welcomed.  
  
Trunks and Pan lived together with their child, a little girl named Crystal. Trunks resumed his role at Capsule Corp. and Pan took the role of a mother. Both were quite happy with that and they were happy together. It only began tension filled with Gohan was around. Gohan seemed to still have a grudge against trunks for hiding their relationship and the pregnancy.  
  
There was Bra and Raymond with their daughter Violet. Raymond did not want to move onto the compound. He constantly and rightful grumbled about becoming their personal physicians and that they didn't listen to him anyway. But he loved his wife and she had a strong desire to remain near her family and father.  
  
Vegeta and Bulma had a house which was purposely placed away from the rest. It was more to keep Vegeta happy than anything else. He didn't want them living so close to him but the other option (living in the same house with him) was more unappealing than this. Bulma even created his own private gravity room so that he could still spend his house in the crushing training exercise.  
  
Goku and ChiChi had a house near Gohan and Videl's who lived there with their youngest child, Fry.  
  
Then there was Soyna's and Goten's house. They lived together with Soyna's boys from her first marriage, Benot and Legen. Benot a near twin of Trunks and Legen a white hared boy that looked remarkably like his father. They also that there own children. A boy named Flint and a girl named Flare. Two kids with their mothers hair and their fathers black eyes. They looked more alike than Benot and Legen did, who might as well be opposites.  
  
The rest of the compound consisted of a garden, a pool, a training yard that was outside and two indoor training areas. There was a lot of room for the growing number of kids to play and to train.  
  
It was a dream yard.  
  
Things had calmed greatly. They trained but not at the vigor as before. Everyone was back (well almost) and everyone was happy.  
  
Soyna was back.  
  
Goku had most of his memory back.  
  
There was peace.  
  
And this time, they were all confident that they would have a warning for next time. They had a warning system now.  
  
If only they knew how it worked.  
  
The silver orb that Benot had wished for and cursed every time that he saw it. He often grumbled about his wasted wish. A silver orb that he tossed casually in the corner of his room. He figured that it would be just easier to ignore it until he figured out how to use it.  
  
Benot made one of the biggest mistakes by ignoring the orb. 


	2. Let the Maddness Begin

The story really begins now!  
  
Anyway, for those of you that have already read my first story, I hope you continue to enjoy my writing and I do like those reviews. Nothing like getting the ego stroked (purr)Enjoy.  
  
Soyna.  
  
  
  
  
  
It Never Ends  
Part 2  
Haunting the Present  
  
  
Let the Madness Begin  
  
  
  
He wished grandpa would put on his shirt. It was really freaking him out.  
  
That stupid dragon kept looking at him. It always seemed to be moving. The THINGS head was on grandpa's shoulder blade and a claw wrapped around his shoulder, as if the dragon was hanging on. The serpentine thing was wrapped around him and its hind claws were digging into his side. The tail of the dragon seemed to disappear down his pants.  
  
Its eyes seemed alive and they were staring right at him.  
  
It was really freaking him out.  
  
Usually he could handle it. That was when grandpa was dry. But he had just finished sparing with Vegeta and his body was glistening with sweat and so was the dragon tattoo. And what was worse was where Vegeta had drawn blood the damn dragon looked like it was alive! It was really really really REALLY freaking him out!!  
  
"One of you!"  
  
Vegeta's sharp voice drew his attention to a very exhausted looking man. Vegeta was beaten yet again. If he ever won, Fry wondered what he would use his five wishes for.  
  
"Make yourself useful," Vegeta snarled. He was always testy after he lost. "Get us something to drink."  
  
He looked at Legen who had been watching the fight with him. They both darted into the house. They did not want to get him madder than he already certainly was.  
  
There was already some chilled water in the fridge and they each grabbed a bottle. They knew that Vegeta would get mad if they did not hurry. They grabbed a soda for themselves and ran back out.  
  
Vegeta's temper was always so touchy.  
  
Grandpa never got mad! He would just grin and say thanks. If only he didn't had that creepy tattoo. He really wished he would put a shirt on.  
  
Vegeta snatched the bottle from him.  
  
Grandpa took the bottle from Legen with a grin and a thanks.  
  
Grandpa still didn't have a shirt on.  
  
Vegeta was trying to hide his exhaustion or wince at the cuts that covered his arms and side. He was also trying to ignore what looked like a nasty bruise that was forming on his cheek.  
  
Vegeta was too proud to admit that he was hurting.  
  
Grandpa had a few more scratched than normal, maybe Vegeta was getting better at this and would one day win.  
  
"Where is Benot?" Vegeta snapped. Vegeta certainly needed a nap.  
  
Legen frowned. "We're fighting again." Fry shook his head. They always seemed at odds about something lately. Who knew what brothers fought about?  
  
Vegeta snorted.  
  
Grandpa finally reached for his shirt and slipped it over his head. Finally. "What about?"  
  
Legen shrugged. "Stuff." Thank God that the two had separate rooms now, they probably would have killed each other.  
  
"Gee... it must have been a bad fight. He usually likes to watch us fight." Goku said and chugged some of his water.  
  
Vegeta looked like he was on the verge of collapse. He still managed to sit on the bench that was near with a look of arrogance.  
  
That was when a very dazed looking Goten walked by with his hands stuffed in his pockets. He had a look of forlornness.  
  
Grandpa looked over curiously to his son.  
  
"What the hell is your problem?" Vegeta snapped at him.  
  
"Huh?" he looked over at Vegeta. "What?"  
  
Grandpa looked over curiously to his son. Sometimes grandpa could be really dense when it came to other peoples feelings. Vegeta just stared.  
  
Goten seemed to suddenly dawn on the question.  
  
"Oh. Oh! Well.. I don't know!" He threw his hands up in the air. "that woman is crazy!" He certainly looked flustered and upset. He seated himself on the bench by Vegeta and put his face in his hands. "I don't even know what I did!"  
  
"Soyna?" Grandpa asked.  
  
"Yeah. I didn't do anything! She slapped the back of my head and literally snarled at me! She won't tell me what I did!" Goten frowned. "She just took off and I can't sense her anywhere." She had learned to mask her power level from Goten since their marriage.  
  
Vegeta snorted. "I am sure that you deserved it."  
  
Goten ignored him. He had to. Vegeta didn't like loosing to his exclusive sparing partner to him. He didn't like the union but as Gohan had no choice, he had no choice if whom his granddaughter choose to marry.  
  
"She was fine this morning and then BAM!! She turned into a snarling... snarling..." he sighed deeply. "What did I do?" It was not really a question but Vegeta, of course, answered. "She's a woman," he snorted. "They don't need an excuse."  
  
Goten sighed.  
  
Grandpa smiled. "She'll come around. They always do. She loves you." Both Goten and Vegeta raised their eyebrows at Grandpa. "Just say that you are sorry, even if you don't know what for and don't go through the windows. Maybe buy her some flowers. ChiChi likes that."  
  
Vegeta snorted. Obviously that was beneath him.  
  
"But Soyna's not like that!" He sighed. "I can't just say that I am sorry and hand her flowers. She would beat me over the head with them!" Vegeta smirked at that comment.  
  
"Mom likes perfume," Legen said quickly. He absolutely adored his new father and of course was proud of the wish that he made to bring them together. It was one of the main sticking points between him and Benot. Benot still did not care for him.  
  
"Perfume?" Goten looked hopeful. "Yeah, She does like perfume, but I don't know what kind she wears!" His hopeful look turned into a crushed one. "I don't even know where she keeps that stuff in the house."  
  
Legen tapped his chin. "Um... I don't know the name but I do know what the bottle looks like. She put on a whole bunch last time we went shopping. It was a purple frosted odd shaped thing."  
  
Goten brightened. "Yeah. That could do it. I'll try anything." He smiled brightly and jumped up from the bench. Boy, talk about mood swings. "Let's go shopping!"  
  
"Can I go too!" Fry asked. Anything was better than staying home with grandpa and his creepy tattoo and Vegeta looking like he was in a really bad mood. He must be hurt pretty bad.  
  
Goten just grinned. "Sure. Whatever. Let's hurry."  
  
He smiled at Legen who had a large grin on his face. Legen to the rescue again. He would brag about this later and most likely get into another argument with Benot over this but then Legen didn't care. He got what he wanted. He got a father.  
  
..........................  
  
Vegeta drank some of the water and watched the children dart off. Goten still acted like he was five at times.  
  
Kakarott scratched his head. "I wonder what he did. I knew know what I do to ChiChi. Hey Vegeta, what do you do when you get Bulma mad?"  
  
Vegeta nearly spat out his mouthful of water. He was not -absolutely not- going to talk to Kakarott about that!  
  
..................................  
  
Trunks scrubbed his hands through his hair as he watched Soyna storm out. She had come in looking furious and demanding to talk to Pan. He told her that Pan was out shopping with Bra and that she would be back later. She just snorted and stormed back out.  
  
What was her problem?  
  
Crystal, his daughter, was clutching his leg tightly with one arm and a book that she wanted him to read with the other.  
  
Crystal was a jumpy little girl. He didn't know where she got the shyness from but she did not like Soyna all that much. Soyna never gave her a reason too but then, her moods were so much like Vegeta's at times and Crystal was kind of scared of him too.  
  
He sighed and picked up his daughter.  
  
He was not looking forward to explaining how that Soyna is sort of her sister. The whole mess of the time travel and his other self having two children. It was going to be hard to explain to her why they were in this time and not in there own, but he knew the questions would come up sooner or later. He was not looking forward to that. Not at all.  
  
"Book," Crystal said and shoved it rather roughly in his face, hitting his nose.  
  
"Okay. Okay," he said and took it from her. She was a strong little thing. He often wondered if she would be interested in training but she usually shied away from the idea of hitting anyone. She liked to look at her books and stuff.  
  
He knew that she would have to learn to control her strength. He rubbed his nose as he walked to a chair. She was definitely stronger than she looked.  
  
....................................  
  
Benot purposely looked away as Vegeta came in. He knew that he had lost again. He always lost to Goku and was always in a bad mood when he lost. Especially when he lost to Goku. He looked more exhausted than normal. He must have pushed himself hard today. Benot didn't understand the real reason of why he wanted to beat Goku so badly. Something to do with saiyian pride, or as Oma put it, arrogance. He figured it was the same thing.  
  
He heard him grunt as he went upstairs.  
  
When was he going to learn that Goku was just so much stronger. That dragon sure boosted his power even if he couldn't transform anymore.  
  
Oman sighed as she watched him disappear, rather slowly, up the stairs. She muttered. "Foolish man."  
  
He looked down at his two younger siblings who were busy playing on the floor. Oma had made them some new toys with lots of lights and noises. Flint and Flare were quite happy playing with them at the moment.  
  
He adored his younger siblings despite what a dolt there father was. A man that was always trying to be his father... the wimp. Mom was happy though. He was the only one that was miserable. Having to live with Goten and see him kiss his mother... yuck.  
  
He shuttered. He really didn't like thinking about that.  
  
If Legen hadn't made that stupid wish.  
  
"Are you alright?"  
  
"Huh?" He looked up at Bulma who was looking at him with that grandmotherly concern on her face. It seemed reserved for him lately.  
  
"You looked like something was wrong," she said and brushed back some of her hair that fell in her face. Her hair was getting long and it was also showing signs of gray.  
  
"Nothing," he said quickly. "Just thinking." He looked down at his sibling in time to see Flint grab Flares tail and pull, rather hard. Flare stared to cry and flung her arms wide and hit Flint squarely in the face. Both were crying now.  
  
He picked up Flare and Oma picked up Flint.  
  
The both looked so much like mom. Flare was going to be exactly like mom. He could see that. Flare was already getting an attitude. There were going to be fighters. He knew that much. There were going to be even stronger than mom.  
  
"Geez," Bulma said as Flare held her tail in protest of it being tugged. "Must you two get into a fight every time that you are over?" Flint was rubbing his face with his hands as if he were certain that she had left a bruise. He doubted that she hit him that hard.  
  
"Did Legen and I fight like this?" he asked. Mom was still very ill from the poison when he was eight months old. Bulma, Pan, Videl, and Bra were the ones that took care of him and his brother. Mom wasn't well until he was about a year old.  
  
"No. You two were very well behaved kids," Bulma said and then looked directly at him, with a look that he thought was reserved for Vegeta, "Unlike now."  
  
He rolled his eyes. This again.  
  
"Don't roll your eyes at me. What are you two fighting about now? Did he steal a piece of toast off your breakfast plate? Did he touch your books? Did he beat you while you were training?" Her voice was sharp and bitter.  
  
He frowned and hugged his little sister. He couldn't remember what it was this time. Something Legen did irritated him. He was probably sucking up to Goten again. That was really irritating.  
  
"Doesn't matter. You two have been at each other throats for awhile and I don't like it," Bulma said even sharper.  
  
He shook his head and sighed. He couldn't help it. He didn't know why he snapped at his brother so often but he knew that he bugged the hell out of him all the time now. Legen is stronger than he is. Legen is faster than he is. Legen is a quicker learner than he is.... Damn him.  
  
"What are they still doing here?"  
  
He looked up to see Vegeta, his hair still sopping wet as he stood in the door way of the kitchen. He was probably hungry. He looked pretty bruised up. Goku certainly took a hell of a beating.  
  
"Goten went out and I don't know where Soyna went," Bulma said placing Flint back onto the floor where he clutched the toy that was there to his chest quickly. Flare was protesting to be let down off of his lap.  
  
"Oh yeah," Vegeta smirked and gave a short loud laugh. "I forgot." He shook his head and water dripped onto his shirt. "What did Goten do?"  
  
"Huh?" Bulma said. "What are you talking about?"  
  
Vegeta walked into the room and sat on the couch. His cheek was going to be black tomorrow. "Goten walked by us training and he was complaining about that Soyna was mad at him over something but he couldn't figure out what it was." He stretched out on the sofa with a sigh. His knee looked like it was out of joint. He would be grumpy for a good week with those injuries.  
  
  
"Really?" Bulma said. "She was in a good mood when she dropped off the kids?" Bulma sighed.  
  
"He went darting off to go buy her something and say that he was sorry," Vegeta chuckled. "What a fool."  
  
Oma stood and put her hands on her hips. Oh boy, she was going to yell again. "At least he tries! I don't think you have ever bought me anything!"  
  
He closed his eyes and waved a hand at her. "I gave you two children."  
  
Benot put Flare down on the floor with her brother. They were both fascinated with Bulma's face getting redder and redder as she yelled at Vegeta who was lying casually on the couch.  
  
He decided that he needed to get out of the kitchen.  
  
Even though it was good to hear that mother and Goten were fighting.  
  
...............................  
  
She was the most beautiful woman in the world, as far as he was concerned. He had seen her here at least a dozen or more times. She was always with a big lout though. He assumed he was her boyfriend. He looked like a goon to him. He didn't deserve her. She was so pretty! She had the softest, silkiest looking red hair that he had ever seen. She always wore it loose so that it fell in waves down her shoulders. Her eyes were like emeralds, they were so green. Her skin was pale and totally unflawed. She had a great strength in her walk and appearance. That was probably why she was attracted to that big lout that he usually saw her with. The muscle bound freak. She was so sleek and... well... sexy. She wasn't that tall, rather short actually, but she walked as if she was seven feet tall.  
  
Today she was wearing some baggy pants that hung low on her hips and a shirt that was a little too short so that you could see her belly. Her arms were bare and he could see that strange white scar that looped around one of her arms. She had her hands stuffed in her pants and was looking down at her sandaled feet. She looked sad and upset. Did that big lout do something to hurt her? Maybe they broke up. He could only hope!  
  
"Hey!"  
  
He looked around. "Holy crow man! Will you just give it up. She is taken!"  
His friend said as he looked in direction. He knew that he was taken by her. Everyone of his friends did.  
  
"Go on," he was nudged by his other friend. "She alone. She looks like she needs some cheering up." Jamna. The womanizer, even though he hadn't had a girl friend in a year.  
  
"Oh please," Mart said and rolled his eyes. "She is way way WAY out of your league! There is no way you could even get her to look at you."  
  
He sighed. Maybe Mart was right. She was older than him. She was stunning. Would she even look at him?  
  
"He will never know unless he gives it a try man. When else is he going to get a chance like this! That big guy is no where to be seen. Go for it, man!" Jamna said and slapped him in the back. "If you don't, I will! I tell you. She is one hot babe."  
  
He looked to see her walking slowly towards the opposite end of the park. Maybe it was his chance. She did look upset. Hell, she was the main reason that he hung around in the place so often, just a chance to see her... Did he have a chance? Boy, she had a nice butt.  
  
Jamna pushed his shoulder again. "Go on!" He staggered forward.  
  
"I don't know..."  
  
Mart was shaking his head. "If you really want to make a fool of yourself."  
  
He bit his lip. This was going to be his only chance.  
  
But how... He grabbed a bunch of flowers out of a nearby bed and rushed after to where she disappeared. Jamna smiled at him and gave him a two thumbs up as he went. Mart was just shaking his head and leaning against his board.  
  
He gave a thumbs up and followed after her.  
  
He found her leaning against a tree, hugging herself with her arms still staring at the ground. He wondered what upset her so much. She had always looked happy before.  
  
He took a deep breath and put on his best smile and thrust the flowers under her nose. "A pretty woman like you shouldn't look so glum," he said. She raised her head slightly and looked at the flowers. "I hope that these will help you feel better." He hoped that she wasn't going to laugh in his face.  
  
"I don't like dead things," she said in a cool voice. She still had not looked up. He pulled them back. "You can go away now."  
  
He felt his heart break as he let the flowers fall from his fingers. He thought all women like flowers? But then, she was different than any other woman that he had ever seen in his life time.  
  
"A woman like you, shouldn't be walking alone, especially when you look so sad," he said. He couldn't make himself just count his losses and turn away. Just being near her was so exhilarating.  
  
"I can take care of myself," she said and pulled away from the tree. "If you will excuse me." Her voice was so cold and yet it was so soft at the same time.  
  
"I don't doubt that," he said and walked behind her. What was he doing? He was making a fool of himself. "but what is making you so sad?"  
  
She turned around sharply. She looked angry and he was ready to back down when her face changed into a look of absolute shock. Her hands remained clenched fists at her side as she looked at him with wide green eyes.  
  
He backed down a few steps. He had no intention of getting her more upset. Mart was right. He was a fool to think that a woman like this would have any interest in him at all. Why did he listen to Jamna? The man didn't know anything about women. Mart seemed to know more. Well, at least he had a steady girlfriend.  
  
"I'm sorry," he said. He looked back up at her to see her looking at him with a stunned look on her face. "Are you okay?" he asked and walked towards her again.  
  
She stumbled a few steps back and cringed as if she was in pain. She the palms of her hands to her head and let out a moan.  
  
Man. He felt really bad now. What did he do? Was she allergic to flowers. He felt awful. That was stupid of him to just shove them under her nose like that.   
  
"Do you need help?" he said and grabbed her arm to prevent her from falling onto the hard sidewalk.  
  
She moaned again and pulled away sharply. She stumbled a few steps and fell onto the grass still holding her head. He knelt in front of her. "Do you want me to call a doctor?" He asked. She was still hiding her face with her hands.  
  
"No," she whispered. She sounded like she was crying. A woman like her didn't cry. Oh man, he really stuck his foot in it this time.  
  
She removed her hands from her face. No. Thankfully she wasn't crying. She was staring right at him though with an intensity that he was not used to. He bit his lip and asked if she was okay again.  
  
"You look so young," she said and reached her hand towards him and was shocked when she caressed his cheek.  
  
He just sat there and blinked.  
  
She touched him! Woah! Hey, what did she mean by that comment? Of course he looked young, he was only nineteen.  
  
She pulled back as suddenly and pressed both her hands to her head with a very painful sounding grunt.  
  
"I'm going to get a doctor," he said. She must have serious allergy problems.  
  
"NO!" She said and grabbed his arm and yanked him down. Damn, she was strong. Her eyes narrowed and she had such an intensity to them that he became scared. "What is your name?"  
  
"What?"  
  
"Your name!" She nearly shouted. Her forehead was creased with lines of pain but it did not make her any less beautiful.   
  
"Br... Brennen," he said quickly.  
  
She let him go and stood up. She seemed to nearly collapse again as she put her hands to her head again.  
  
"Do you need help?" he said getting up. He was really worried about her. She was in a lot of pain and it was probably because of him. Damn it. He should have left well enough alone. "I'm sorry for putting those flowers under your nose. I didn't know you were so allergic." She gave him a confused look from behind her hands. Her teeth were clenched. "I'm really sorry. Let me help you get home."  
  
"Oh God no," she said and shook her head. She stood straight and seemed to have to force her hands to her side. Then she took off. Literally! She could fly. He was blasted back by the energy that she emitted and was stunned as he watched her disappear into a shiny dot in the sky.  
  
It must be a dream.  
  
He would have thought so, if he didn't land on her purse.  
  
  
................................  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
What did Goten do to upset her so?  
What is the deal with Legen and Benot quarrelling all the time?  
Will Vegeta ever beat Goku? Of course, this question, we may never know.  
My God, what happened to Soyna with meeting this boy that was infatuated with her who happens to have the name of Brennen? (If you don't remember the name, it is in the first part of my story)  
Oh dear, I think I left it another cliffhanger.  
  
Soyna. 


	3. Bad Day?

Will I break up Soyna and Goten after struggling to get them together..... Read and see. Oops, just about forgot to insert evil laugh here... HEHAHEHOAHEHEGWAHH! Hummm, more like a demented laugh isn't it... oh well.  
  
Clarification points: Goku cannot transform anymore but is still a great force to contend with. He is after all combined with Shelong. Vegeta can now go all the way to level four, but he is still no match for Goku. The Gohan question.... We will have to see...but will fists be needed in this battle. Well, most likely, after all we are dealing with some of the strongest fighters in the world now, aren't we... or should I say universe.  
  
  
  
  
  
It Never Ends  
Part 2  
Haunting the Present  
  
  
  
  
Bad Day?  
  
  
  
  
  
Goten was in a state of shock.  
  
He looked to Junior for some sort of understanding as to why his sister was acting so loony.  
  
Junior just shook his head and walked after her.  
  
Goten looked down at the gift that he had gotten her. The gift of some very expensive perfume that he had wrapped in silver paper and a glittery ribbon. He had planned to give it to her as soon as she walked in the door.  
  
But he had stood their stunned.  
  
She had dashed into the house looking like she was out of breath and if she was a little scared.  
  
He recovered from being shocked and stood and tried to give his best smile. She gave him such a startled look. "Soyna," was all that he was able to say before she straightened herself up. He held out the gift only to be ignored as she stormed out of the room and slammed the bedroom door behind her.  
  
"What did I do?" he whispered.  
  
Junior gave him a gentle pat on the shoulder before he followed his sister into the bedroom. He had hoped that she would not be mad at him anymore, but he had invited Junior over just in case. Junior always tended to dissolve her anger, but it didn't work this time.  
  
He could just stand there crushed.  
  
Why was she acting this way?  
  
He put the gift down and slowly walked to his own bedroom. He did not know why he was so nervous or upset. If he had done something really bad, he was sure that he would have remembered it. But he was still nervous as he peaked into his own bedroom that he had shared with his WIFE for the past year and a half.  
  
"Sis," he heard Junior's worried voice, "What's wrong?" Junior even sounded a little scared. He could hear her crying.  
  
Was she crying?  
  
Yes, she was.  
  
He entered the room to see Junior sitting on the edge of the bed with his sister folded in his arms. She was shaking, she was crying so hard.  
  
He slowly made his way to the bed. Junior had a very serious look on his face. Almost angry. That really made him look like Vegeta. Sometimes, that look spooked him. This was one of those times. Junior was not one to get mad or upset easily. He had tried his friends patience many a time but when you involved his sister, the Vegeta trait's sure came out of him.  
  
He sat on the bed so that he could put a comforting hand on her back. Her whole body was quivering as she cried into her brothers chest.  
  
He wanted to rip her from Juniors arms. He should be the one comforting her! Why did she shy away from him? He was her husband! HUSBAND!  
  
"Soyna," he whispered.  
  
Junior gave him a concerned look and in a low voice said, "I had only seen her cry like this when father died." If he didn't have green eyes, he could have sworn it was Vegeta looking at him. He knew that look was accusing. He wanted to know what he did. He surely would like to know too.  
  
He stroked her back again. "I'm sorry Soyna," he said. "For whatever I did. I am so sorry." He felt like he was having to choke back his own tears as well.  
  
She pulled back from her brother, still sniffing and holding one hand to her head. She looked at her brother and then at him. She winced as if she were in pain.  
  
"What's wrong?" Junior asked.  
  
She closed her eyes and she leaned towards Goten and Goten gratefully took her into his arms. She was still shaking but she was no longer having her gut wrenching sobs. It still hurt to see her like this but she was in his arms now and he was sure that everything was going to be okay now. She couldn't be that mad at him anymore.  
  
"Soyna?" He asked, "What's wrong?"  
  
She shook her head, only a few words came out of her mouth. A few words that he didn't really understand and then a clear sentence, "Just a bad day." In a low whisper.  
  
Just a bad day?  
  
A bad day was when Benot was yelling at Legen while Flare and Flint were teething. That was a bad day. What could cause her to get so upset? It couldn't be that she was having that bad of a day? He buried his hands into her hair and kissed the top of her head.  
  
She pulled away sharply and looked at him as if he were a new thing. "Don't do that!" She snapped.  
  
He sat there shocked. He was only trying to comfort her.  
  
"Sis?" Junior said. She jumped at the sound of her brother's voice. He looked at her with a very concerned eyes.  
  
She stood and looked back and forth between her brother and him. Goten was at a complete loss for what he was to do. It was just better to have him hit him and storm out of the room. He knew what to do then. He had no idea what to do when she was like this.   
  
She took a few deep breaths. She closed her eyes and looked at the floor. He took this opportunity to scoop her up in her arms again. He hoped that she wouldn't pull away. Thankfully, she did not.  
  
She was still shaking.  
  
He held her as tight as he could.  
  
"Hon?" Something he rarely called her. "You can tell me what's wrong. You know that I will always be there for you." He whispered. "Junior's here for you too. Soyna. Please tell me what's wrong so that we can make it all better."  
  
"It doesn't matter," she said into his chest. "I'm here now. I'm here," she sounded as if she was trying to convince herself of something. "Other things to deal with." She gently pulled away this time and she looked up at him. Her eyes were still wet with tears and they shone but there was a gentle smile on her lips. "I'm supposed to be mad at you."  
  
"Why?" he asked.  
  
She sighed and pressed herself to him again and wrapped her arms around his waist. He could see that her tail swayed gently behind her in a calm manner. "I'll tell you later," she said.  
  
"Is everything going to be okay?" Junior asked rising from the bed. Soyna nodded against his chest. Goten sighed and smiled. Junior still looked worried as he left. He looked as if he had much more to say but thought better of it.  
  
He still wanted to know what upset her so much and also why she was supposed to be so mad at him.  
  
He thought that he had her all figured out finally and then this happens. He lifted her and carried her back to the bed where he held her for a couple of more hours before sleep finally overcame both of them.  
  
  
................................................  
  
  
These people had a hidden history. The Z fighters as they dubbed, themselves. It was hard to find but he found it hidden behind delusional stories. It took him awhile but he got the truth out of old video tapes and tabloid newspapers.  
  
It is amazing how oblivious people were to the dangers of the past. He learned the truth about Vegeta and the others. He only really cared about Vegeta but there had been a lot of evil turning good on this planet. He found that very odd.  
  
It wasn't going to be that way with him.  
  
His father had been a fool. He thought he understood how these people worked but he was dead now because of how he misunderstood that red hared woman. Father thought that the boosters would work and that kidnapping her children would work.  
  
What a fool.  
  
Didn't he know that hurting her that way, would only make her reach a higher level and she would be willing to put herself in further danger to save those that she loved dearly.  
  
He had tried to tell him that, but his father always saw him as a child. He had told him. He had been warned, but would he listen. No. Now he was dead. Now he was left alone on this pesky rock with nothing else to do but to plan revenge.  
  
He had much more information than he had when the first attack began and as he knew then, a direct assault was not the way to go with these people. They were strong beyond reasoning. No matter how strong their opponent was, they always managed to reach above that. He had to break them down from the inside.  
  
He was busy working on the Capsule Corporation. That had been his hardest task so far. It was a very well established and well respected company. It was hard to start to undermine the first couple of deals, but soon, he would revel in its crumble.  
  
Destruction from the inside.  
  
That was the only way to go.  
  
He didn't know how that woman came back to life. He was certain that she was dead. The amount of energy that went into that blast... but she was alive. Her being alive just fueled his anger even further and made him wish to hurt her personally.  
  
Raymond, that doctor, he was sure was part of the reason that she was alive and the reason that no one showed any more signs of the poison that had weakened them before. Raymond had to have something to do with that. Raymond would be easy to humiliate and destroy. He was well into that plan but getting her would be more difficult.  
  
Much more.  
  
That was of course, until he saw the boy.  
  
He had no idea how he was going to get them together but he had to find a way. He even managed to get the boy a job at Capsule Corporation, hoping some how they would bump into each other. But then, he didn't have to worry about that anymore.  
  
They seemed to have found each other.  
  
..........................................  
  
  
"You scared her off!" Jamna said. "Man, what did you say?" Brennen shrugged. He was still in shock over seeing her fly off like that. "Hey, but you have her purse. You can go, like, be the knight in shining armor, man! Girls dig that sort of stuff!"  
  
"Grow up Jamna," Mart said. "She is obviously not interested. It is best that he just mail it to her and be done with it. There is no point of hanging on to that pathetic dream."  
  
"Hey! You are so, like, wrong man! This is, like, his big chance. He could, like, knock on the door, with, like a big bouquet of flowers and, like, this little purse, and wham... instant love," Jamna said with a big goofy grin as he pushed the hair out of his face.  
  
"She called me young," Brennen said in a whisper. What was that about?  
  
"Really. Cool dude," Jamna said.  
  
"That is odd thing to say," Mart said.  
  
"Oh, come on!" Jamna said as they continued to walk. "He has, like, a prime, no, no, super prime, opportunity here to be with, like, his dream girl." He snatched the thin leather purse and opened it. "You just, like, say, you dropped this ma'am and I was, like, wondering, if like, you would like to have a cup of, like, coffee with me."   
  
Brennen felt an uneasy tightness in his chest as he snatched the purse back from him. He knew it wouldn't be that easy. She flew off. FLEW! He should just mail it to her and forget about it.  
  
It would make life easier for everyone.  
  
Wouldn't it?  
  
................................................  
  
  
Benot retreated to his room. Legen and Fry had taken over the videogames. Ba! He flopped on his bed and tried to block out the sounds with a pillow.  
  
He could still hear the beeping and the ringing of those silly childish games that they liked to play.  
  
"Turn that down!" He yelled and the beeping stopped.  
  
He wanted to sleep.  
  
The gift in the living room meant that mom and the wimp were no longer fighting and the fact that Junior took over the care of Flint and Flare was still yet another bad sign that they were no longer fighting but doing something else. He didn't want to think about that.  
  
Gross.  
  
...........................................  
  
Goten felt a horrible chill as he held her. She was sound asleep now but she definitely was dreaming. Now, the whole time that they were married, she had maybe two or three dreams where she talked in her sleep. They were still left over nightmares from her past that crept into her sleeping thoughts. Those dreams, would stop as soon as he would hold her. Her whole body would just relax and rest.  
  
She hadn't had a bad dream since.  
  
She was having one now and his holding her didn't seem to ease the bad thoughts. She continued on muttering and talking nonsense. Well, most of it was nonsense.  
  
That name wasn't.  
  
Why would she say that name?  
  
She was nuzzled close to him, but she said his name, instead of his.  
  
Why?  
  
He stroked her hair and her tail began to sway underneath the bed sheets in a manner that usually fascinated him.  
  
Her eyes opened slowly and gently moving, she rolled away from him. She yawned and brought her hands to touch his chest. "I'm sorry for scaring you," she whispered sleepily. "It won't happen again."  
  
"That's okay," he said even though he wanted to ask her why she was dreaming about... about... damn, he couldn't make himself even THINK of that name. But, it was just a dream. She was allowed to dream. He could do nothing about her dreams. She was in his bed, in his arms, not his, so it didn't really matter. Didn't it? "Just remember, you can talk to me. You don't need to run off anymore. I love you remember." It seemed really important to say that.  
  
She looked away and sighed heavily. She was hiding something. That had to be it. He wanted to grab her and shake her silly but he knew that it would get him nowhere. She rested her head against the pillow and closed her eyes. Sometimes, he wished she would be a little bit more emotional. Her hands gently stroked his chest in a way that calmed in almost instantly.  
  
All those thoughts were just silly.  
  
That was all.  
  
Things would be better tomorrow.  
  
Things would be back to normal. She will be back to normal.   
  
.........................................  
  
I know... I didn't really answer many question's now did I?  
  
We still don't know why she was mad at Goten, but she seems to gotten over it. But what about Brennen...? Is he going to try to enter back into her life? Hum. And who is this 'dude' that was researching the Z group and wants revenge? 


	4. Turmoil

Woah... I got a few people upset over the appearance of Brennen... there is a reason that I have angst as one of the major headings for my story...  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
It Never Ends  
Part 2  
Haunting the Present  
  
  
Turmoil  
  
  
  
Pan frowned as she looked at her husband who was going over papers at his desk. Work. Deadlines. He had people to help him do those things and was even training Junior to help him with the company but Trunks still had to take everything into his own hands. Even if he complained about how much work it was.  
  
She was hoping -hoping- with Crystal in bed, that she could have some husband/wife time with him. He had spent the day taking care of their daughter, Crystal, while she went shopping with Bra. That was nice. But now, she wanted her husband back. He seemed glued to his desk since after supper when the phone ran.  
  
"Trunks," she whispered.  
  
He looked up. He looked odd with his glasses riding low on his nose and a pen stuck between his teeth. Not a look that you would see a fighter with but cute all the same.  
  
She posed in the doorway in the new 'outfit' that she had bought today with tonight's plan's in mind.  
  
The pen that he held between his teeth fell into the pile of papers. She got pleasure of seeing him blush slightly as he pushed his glasses up his nose.  
  
Oh yeah. She still had it.  
  
"Oh... Uh... Pan!" he stood, removing his glasses and throwing them on the table with his other papers. She could see his eyes scanning her. "I'll be... when did you buy that?"  
  
"Today," she said and started to walk closer to him. She knew, very well that he liked to see her in these type of outfits. She knew it drove him crazy. Anything to get him away from the pile of papers and e-mail.  
  
"Really?" he said as she stood in front of him and looked up at him. He looked back to the papers and then back at her. "Um... I... Pan... I..." she smiled. Boy, it was nice to see him with that blush on his cheeks. It made him look so young.  
  
The computer beeped and toned, "you've got mail."  
  
She stepped closer to him and brushed her hand along his side. He put his hands on her side.   
  
"I have to get this," he said and moved her aside.  
  
Moved her aside!  
  
He sat back down at the computer and found the mail that had entered.  
  
MOVED HER ASIDE!  
  
"I'll finish this as soon as I can Panny," he said but didn't look at her but was concentrating on the white and black images on his screen.  
  
She wanted to yell and scream at him. When did he get so engrossed in his work. He hated his job! She was supposed to be more important than any e-mail! But she didn't yell at him or curse at him. The anger quickly left and she felt crushed.  
  
How could he just move her aside like that?  
  
..........................................  
  
Goku had the weirdest dream that he could ever remember.  
  
He was used to vivid dreams. He always had vivid dreams but since his fusion with Shelong, they had even been more prevalent.  
  
They usually were pleasant dreams.  
  
This one wasn't.  
  
It involved Soyna.  
  
The dream started off with Soyna lying on, what he thought now, must be his bed, covered in blankets and tossing in her sleep. It looked as if she was having a nightmare. Her body was covered with sweat and that white sheet didn't cover near enough of her.  
  
"See what you have done."  
  
He turned to see another Soyna. At least he thought it was her, but she was powered up with her golden hair framing her stern looking face and falling onto the shoulder protectors of the armor she wore. It was like the armor that he remembered Vegeta first wearing when he came to the planet. She even wore a scouter over on of her eyes as she glared at him with her dark green eyes.  
  
The warrior Soyna stood defiantly with a look that he thought only Vegeta could have. "You have awakened Sorrow."  
  
He usually had control of his dreams. Usually. This one didn't seem to be in his control though as the warrior walked over to the bed and sat beside the tossing Soyna and put her hand on the head of sorrow. "I had her under control but you woke her!" The woman on the bed tossing slowed for the moment.  
  
"I don't know what you mean," he said.  
  
The Soyna in the bed moved away from the comfort of the warrior Soyna and continued to toss. He then realized that she was tied down. She let out a mournful sound that tore at his heart. She was in pain.  
  
"How can I help her?" he said to the warrior Soyna.  
  
The warrior stood. "You can not. You caused the sorrow to be buried and now she will awaken." He never thought anyone could have such arrogance as Vegeta, but she was sure carrying it off well. She crossed her arms and looked at the woman in the bed. "I had her under control!"  
  
"I'm sorry," he said, not really understand the dream all that much.  
  
The warrior sniffed and looked away. Sorrow screamed and struggled against her bonds that tied her to the bed. He wanted to save her. She was in so much pain. He could not allow this.  
  
"Oh, but you have," The warrior growled and glared at him. Did she hear his thoughts. Well, it was a dream after all. "You have allowed this. Just being here allowed this!" The warrior shook her head violently. "She did not need the wish!"  
  
"Wish?" he gasped. He could feel the dragon tattoo on his body start to warm.  
  
The warrior growled at him. "I am not strong enough yet. Sorrow is filling me but I will get strong enough to hurt you and take my own wishes from you."  
  
"What?"  
  
He knew that there would be more if ChiChi had not woke him up, and complained about talking in his sleep.  
  
Was Soyna going to challenge him? What did the dream mean? He did not sleep for the rest of the night, for the answer to the odd dream eluded him.  
  
...........................  
  
Vegeta blinked.  
  
It was Sunday morning. Sunday. Yes, he was still sore from his fight with Kakarott, but he wasn't incapacitated. He looked forward to his Sunday training sessions with Soyna. It was usually the bright point in his week, for he hardly saw her anymore. She was always so busy with her children and the child like Goten.  
  
But she never had done this before.  
  
She refused to train with him. REFUSED!  
  
Her only explanation was, "I don't feel like it."  
  
He could not believe that she would say those things. Don't feel like it! She always liked to train! Even when she was pregnant with that annoying Goten's kids, she still trained much against everyone's protests.  
  
He walked into his house, still stunned. She didn't feel like it! She must be sick or something, or maybe Goten did something really bad to upset her. She looked so sad and distracted. She did not look like the Soyna he knew, nor was she behaving like the Soyna he knew.  
  
She refused to train with him!  
  
She had never refused before. She may have cut the training short, but she never just said that she didn't feel like it. Never. She hardly even looked at him when she said it and she was never one to look away from a confrontation, even from him. They used to fight all the time and argue but they still would train together every day.  
  
He was sure that it was Goten's fault. It had to be. How else would his grandchild shun him!  
  
....................................  
  
Trunks could see how mad she was at him. Pan didn't even look at him in the morning and after a quick breakfast, she scooped up Crystal and left. He tried to apologize and explain to her why he had to shun her.  
  
He had too.  
  
The multi-billion (not million. Billion with a B) deal with the Haxzets had fallen almost, literally, into the ocean over the last three hours. Some bad construction materials were going to cause the ruin of his business if he didn't do some damage control. He had to do it. He couldn't pawn it off on anyone else. He had to do it. He was the president and people wanted to hear from him. He still had work to do on it.  
  
Lots of it.  
  
He was mad at himself for turning away so abruptly from her, but he couldn't look at her and concentrate on this failed deal. He had to do it. She knew what that color did to him. She knew what those outfits did to him.  
  
He had to fix this and fix it fast.  
  
He had to fix his company and his marriage.  
  
................................................  
  
Goku bit his lip as he saw the empty gravity room. He looked at the clock. Usually she was in here with Vegeta by now. It was Sunday after all. He sighed and went to the house where she lived with his son.  
  
Benot was watching his little brother and sister on the front lawn.  
  
"Hi, Goku," Benot said. He may not like Goten but he knew that he like him. Benot was a strange fellow and as he looked at him, he could see so much of Trunks in him that it was almost scary.  
  
"Is your mother around?" he asked as he walked into the yard.  
  
"Yeah. She's inside," Benot said and his eyes narrowed. "She is arguing with the..." he coughed... "With Goten." Benot tried not to insult Goten in front of him, he noticed. He was sure the boy was going to call him a wimp again. Would he ever accept the marriage?  
  
"Arguing?" Goku asked. Did this have something to do with his strange dream. "What about?"  
  
Benot shrugged and went to go rescue his sister, who was trying to crawl under the fence. "Don't know. Mom is just in a really strange mood today and Goten is hovering her around her like a thick fog."  
  
"Strange mood?" he said and looked down to see Flint tugging on his leg. "Do you know what happened?"  
  
Benot shook his head. "Nah. They don't tell me anything."  
  
He picked up Flint absently. He bit his lip. Should he interrupt them. The dream bugged him. Why had Soyna separated into two different ones in his dream? Did that mean anything? He was getting a headache thinking about this.  
  
"Why isn't she sparing with Vegeta?" he asked, not really aware that Flint was pulling on his hair and giggling as he did so.  
  
Benot looked kind of worried as he placed his sister on the blanket that held their toys. "She said that she didn't feel like it," Benot sighed. "Mom always like to spar. I mean, she would get this glow in her eyes when someone challenged her." He looked up at him. "Goku? I am worried about mom."  
  
Benot's green eyes were so sad. He placed Flint down beside his sister. Sorrow was tied down in his dream and the warrior stood strong. What if it was reversed now? "I'm sure things will work out." He said. "I'm going to have a talk with my son."  
  
Benot nodded and sat down by his younger siblings. "You just make sure that my mom doesn't get hurt anymore." His voice was stern and low. "One day, I will be strong enough to protect the family and we won't need the help from anyone else. Ever again."  
  
He looked down at Benot and was a bit shocked. He never knew that he felt that way. But he had other things to deal with. He had to deal with the dream that was giving him such a headache.  
  
He went into the house to see his son standing in the center of the room, looking like he was lost. "Son?"  
  
He looked over and smiled half heartily. "Hi, dad."  
  
"Is everything okay?" he asked.  
  
Goten rubbed his head. "I think so." He looked at he ceiling. "She say's she is not mad at me anymore, but she won't really talk to me about it. I know, she was never one to talk much, but I always got her to open up before. I just don't understand what is going on."  
  
Goku looked at the pain on his son's face.  
  
"Things will work out," he said. "She loves you."  
  
"I know. But sometimes, I worry to much about her." Goten smiled brightly now. "Hey, dad. Wanna spar?"  
  
He smiled and nodded. Maybe it would take his mind off the strange dream and the other problems that seemed to be brewing.  
  
.......................................  
  
"You still have that?"  
  
Brennen looked at the slim leather purse that was owned by Soyna Briefs Son. At least that is what the ID said on the inside of the purse. There wasn't much in there. A few credit cards, and her picture ID. She looked mad in the picture.  
  
"I'll return it Monday," he said.  
  
Mart shook his head. "I warn you. You should just mail it back to her. If you see her, you are going to end up talking like you're underwater."  
  
"oh, come on. Give me a break. I can control myself."  
  
Mart just shook his head. "Are you coming or what? Emergency central at work today. Let's go. Time and half!"  
  
Brennen nodded and gathered his coat.  
  
He had to get rid of that purse so that he would stop thinking about her and thinking about how she touched him... he had to go to work! Work! Money to pay rent. He had to keep his mind straight.  
  
..........................................  
  
  
She was sitting on the couch, a hand on her forehead and the other tapping on her knee. Mom sure looked distracted. He had never seen her this way before. "Mom?"  
  
She did not respond. Her brow furrowed deeper.  
  
"Are you okay?"  
  
she seemed to break out of her self induced trance. "Benot?" She rubbed her forehead. "I didn't hear you. I'm fine. Just thinking."  
  
Benot shook his head angrily. It had to be the wimp that upset her. It had to be. "What did that wimp do to you?" He really wished that he was strong enough to teach him a lesson.  
  
She laughed lightly. "Come sit down," She patted the couch beside her. "The 'wimp' is not the one that caused this headache."  
  
"What's wrong mom? You look so down," he snuggled beside her. He seldom did that. He was used to being the man of the house. Legen could afford to be weak but he couldn't, even with the wimp supposedly taking care of her. That was supposed to be his job.  
  
She sighed. "You are much to young to be bothered by adult problems."  
  
He frowned and rolled his eyes, "that's what you tell Legen! I don't thinks so! You went from mad to sad and then you turned down a fight with Papa Vegeta. There is something wrong! You don't get sad. You get mad! I can deal with you mad, mom, but sad! I'm worried about you," he said. "I won't be brushed off like you brush off Legen. I am nearly eight now!"  
  
She rubbed her head again.  
  
She must have a headache.  
  
"Do you want some of those pills that Raymond gave us," he asked. They were made especially for the ones with Saiyian blood. A might bit stronger than your average extra strength Tylenol.  
  
She shook her head. "It'll go away." She looked like she had to force her hand from her head. "When did you become so stubborn?"  
  
"I learned it from you," he said and looked up at her worriedly. He had never seen her like this and he was still sure that the wimp had something to do with it. "Can you tell me what's wrong?"  
  
She smiled grimly. "I wish I could."  
  
He sighed. "Then I will just sit here until you do."  
  
She sighed and rubbed her head. A distant look came over her eyes. She started to speak in a low voice, "I have been thinking about your father. All those memories have come back to me in a flash and I am having a little trouble sorting them out."  
  
She seldom talked about dad. She always avoided it. He never really pushed it because he could see that she did not like talking about him. He tried to ask Junior from time to time about his father, but he would avoid it too. He only knew if father from that picture book that she seldom looked at anymore. "Mom," he chewed his lip. "What was dad like?"  
  
He could feel her stiffen.  
  
"Please mom. I don't even know what dad's favorite color was. I know more about the OTHER Trunks that I do about my own father." He gripped her arm tightly to prevent her from running, like she usually did when Legen asked. Of course, now, Legen didn't ask anymore. He got the wimp. He got what he wished for.  
  
She rubbed her head again.  
  
She looked like she was in a lot of pain. Why was she so stubborn when she was hurt. The whole situation was absurd! What was she trying to prove with struggling with a headache?  
  
"I know it was a long time ago and I know a lot has changed since then," he continued. "But.." how was he going to say that he missed his father that he never met or never knew. "I just want to know something about my father. Is there anything about me that resembles him? Uncle Junior says that Legen looks just like dad all the time and I am tired of hearing how much I look like grandpa. Do I have any traits that are my fathers?"  
  
He looked up at his mother. She was really still, but at least she wasn't running away.  
  
"Green." She said.  
  
"What?"  
  
"Your father's favorite color. Green. The same as yours." She said in a low voice. She didn't look as upset but she still looked like she was fighting a headache.  
  
He smiled. "Really."  
  
"yeah," she said with a sigh. "It is hard for me to think about him."  
  
"Why?"  
  
She sighed and a new flash of pain flooded across her face. He shouldn't have asked about dad when she was upset to begin with.  
  
Her voice came out if gasps. "I was not able to bury him." She winced. "I let him die... die on the cold...cold floor." She cringed and leaned against him. He could feel his mother shaking. "I ... I ... shunned ... your father ... I... Your ... I ... forgave... didn't ... Couldn't tell ... I ..." she almost doubled over as she grasped her head. She pulled away from him but he persisted in hugging her. He was not about to let her go when she was revealing such a painful secret.   
  
"Did you love dad?" he asked. He knew that he should be silent. Mom was in pain and he was pushing it.  
  
She gave a grunt and clenched her teeth. "I am here now. Here. HERE!"  
  
"MOM!"  
  
He could feel an unfamiliar panic rising in him. He had never felt so worried before. Not even when he was captured by Krad's men. He knew that he would be saved then. He never felt so helpless!  
  
Her power fluctuated erratically for a moment and he was almost tempted to run out and get Raymond but she grabbed his arm. Her shaking was terrible. His mother was supposed to be so strong. He was ready to run and get the doctor because his mother was never weak.  
  
He allowed himself to be hugged by her as she fought her own internal battle and he could finally feel her body ease and her power to lower back to normal. She made a sharp startled sound and pulled away form him. "Benot! Oh. I am so sorry," she whispered. "I didn't mean to scare you."  
  
He was scared. Mom was acting so un-mom like. It was his fault for asking about dad to begin with. "I won't ask about dad again. I'm sorry mom."  
  
She blinked at him. "No. No, I want you too. You should know about your father and maybe it would ease some of the sorrow that is in me to talk of him."  
  
"But I hurt you," he said. She was still shaking but not nearly as bad as before.  
  
"No. You didn't" she released him from the hug. She sighed heavily, "I can't explain to you why ... Benot ... I... did ... I loved ... I dearly loved your father then, but this is now."  
  
He stared at his mother who seemed to have gotten most of her composure back despite her hesitant words.  
  
"What?" He didn't really understand what she was getting at with the this is now talk.  
  
"This time. I can't go back. I have to stay here," she said. "I am here and time has moved on." He really didn't understand much about the time travel thing, but he was sure that this was part of it. She stood and pulled him into her arms. "I does hurt me a great deal to remember my past, but that does not mean that you should not know about it."  
  
"Mom?"  
  
"The past haunts me. I should not haunt you," she said simply. Like it was all supposed to be clear to him now. He was getting more confused by the minute.  
  
He just bit his lip and looked at her. He would get her to explain it to him better when she was no longer showing signs of a headache that was still written across her brown.  
  
"What caused you to remember?" he asked as she began to carry him out of the room. She hesitated slightly but them resumed the walk. "A few things," she said and shook her head as if she was trying to chase those thoughts out of her head. "Why don't we do something, just me and you. I usually end up watching Legen's shows and movies. How about one of yours?"  
  
Mom wanted to something with him! She had been so busy with the new additions that she seldom had time for stuff like that. This was great. "The park! We can go to the park. I am sure that there will be a street performer or something there."  
  
Mom paled a bit and shook her head. "I would rather say in."  
  
He didn't care what they did. He was going to be spending time with his mother! "I can challenge you to a game!:  
  
She laughed. That was nice to hear from her. "You know that I am lousy at those games."  
  
He smiled. "I know."  
  
................................  
  
Author's notes:  
  
Pan is mad at Trunks now. Will they be able to work it out\  
What is going on with Capsule Corp?  
Has Soyna worked out her inner turmoil?  
Sigh! What else could possible go wrong? 


	5. Easing of the Mind

It Never Ends  
Part 2  
Haunting the Past  
  
  
  
  
Easing of the Mind.  
  
  
  
  
Goten felt good after sparing with his father. He may not have been able to talk to his father about his concerns with Soyna, but it seemed to ease the nagging in his chest. He knew that he could not beat his father and didn't power up but the stretching of the muscles was able to ease his mind.  
  
When they were done, he was pleasantly shocked to see Soyna grumbling over a video game with Benot.  
  
Dad had Flare on one arm and Flint on the other. He was grinning happily at his grandchildren, even as they pulled on his hair. He seemed to be as shocked as he was to see Soyna playing the game. He also seemed to be happy to see that she was doing something else that sulking.  
  
She didn't look so sad anymore.  
  
That was a huge plus!  
  
A beautiful plus!  
  
Even though he could still see her reaching for her forehead as Benot explained how he kicked her butt at the racing game they were playing (his personal favorite).   
  
It was a nice change for both of them. Soyna did not look so sad or distracted and Benot didn't look like he was going to snap at him if he looked at Soyna the wrong way.  
  
He hoped that all that other stuff was over with now.  
  
He really did.  
  
.............................................  
  
Pan was furious. A stupid note and flowers! How many times was that supposed to work? An emergency at work! Again! AGAIN! Those damn emergency's were trying his patience.  
  
He was on very thin ice.  
  
Very thin.  
  
...............................................  
  
"What?"  
  
The woman dropped her wrench and turned away to whatever she was working on. She reached up and put her hand on his forehead. He pulled away from her and glared at her! He was not the one that was sick.  
  
"You didn't argue with her?" she said still eyeing his suspiciously.  
  
He glared at her. "Of course I did. She said she didn't feel like it."  
  
She eyed him suspiciously. "I know that you are getting soft Vegeta, but really."  
  
He glared at her. She didn't even notice! How dare she say that about him. Soft! That was hardly the issue here!  
  
"Well, maybe she realized that she can't spend her life being a fighter all the time. She has to many kids to worry about fighting all the time. Plus, no one else would dare try to attack us any more. I don't even know why you all still train!" She picked up her wrench. "I mean. Anyone that decided to attack this planet now would have to be utter idiots to do so." She tapped the wrench against her hip. "Soyna has slowed down her training quite a bit. Maybe she is ready to quit being the warrior and start being the mother. That is perilous enough without mixing in the warrior part."  
  
She turned back to the machine that she was working on.  
  
"At least you have Goku to fight with now, so you won't get any softer," she said. He knew she was teasing but it still annoyed him. Sometimes, he wondered how he could stand to stay on this planet! Especially with her!  
  
..................................  
  
Oh!  
  
Most of the tapes were dull, boring and even monotonous! Nothing he could use there. He sometimes wished that he had more surveillance. He wished that he could view inside the compound but that pesky Bulma was to smart to allow him to get access to the already in place security system. Not that they really needed one, but it was impossible to get through.  
  
But he did tap into the headquarters system and after view a bunch of nonsense and boring bather, he came across some interesting things. Very interesting that made him want to laugh. The collapse of the Haxzet's went off better than he had planned. Trunk's was in a flurry over it and scrambling within the company to minimize the effects.  
  
The unexpected side effect of seeing a fury filled wife was pleasant. Pan had stormed out of the compound with their child. Trunks followed soon after her looking more worried than usual.  
  
Soyna did not even emerge from her house and didn't train with Vegeta as she normally did. Did the sight of Brennen upset her that much? He certainly hoped so. He would have to orchestrate another get together. He didn't know if he could do that but he sure would have to try. But then, looking at Brennen, he may not have to worry about that.  
  
He had hoped that he could get a look at her to see how truly upset she was but he had to make do.  
  
He wondered what he could start to crumble now.  
  
It could not happen quick enough for his taste but he knew that he had to have patience. He had to! He could not be like his father and rush through it. He had to destroy them from the inside and then they would crumble and he would take the planet for his own.  
  
Well, he would at least get rid of them. He did not want them plaguing his universe any more. One day, he would make it back home and take his own throne back and nothing would stop him. The biggest block would be gone!  
  
...........................  
  
Goten put his twins to bed. They were tuckered out pretty good from playing with their grandpa for most of the afternoon. Goku had set himself in the play room with them and wouldn't leave for most of the day.  
  
Soyna and Benot played games for awhile longer and he just watched them. He didn't want to interfere. After all, If it got both of them out of their bad moods, why should he stop them.  
  
Soyna still looked a bit sad over things. He wished she would talk to him about it. He still wanted to know why she had been upset at him and what set her off but he didn't want it to start all over again.  
  
Then he had to deal with his father. He kept looking at her as if there was something wrong, shake his head and go back to the kids. He should not have told him that she was acting odd last night.  
  
He was glad when the house went silent and he had every intention of forcing it out of her and trying to understand what was wrong. He needed to know.  
  
Of course, that didn't happen.  
  
......................................................  
  
Trunks solemnly walked back home. Work was just too much lately. He tried so hard to get others to do things but it just didn't seem right. He was the president. If he didn't have Junior watching after some of the other company's assets he could have never have left the office. Not that Junior was much help today. He seemed remarkably distracted and like he was day dreaming.  
  
He hoped that the flowers were enough.  
  
He walked into the house and it was quiet. He had to make up for yesterday. A vacation. Yeah. They never had a honeymoon. Well, they couldn't really and now they could leave Crystal with mom and dad... well, mom and everything would be okay. They needed some time, just them.  
  
Everything seemed like it was so rushed before. It was time that they slowed it back down.  
  
He smiled at that. He would clean up the mess with the company and then take a week off! He would make sure that they would go somewhere with no phones or TV and they could just be together.  
  
He would set that up tomorrow!  
  
He smiled as he walked into the bedroom and could hear the sleeping form of Pan in their bed. Even in her sleep, she looked mad.  
  
Yeah. A honeymoon. Soon.  
  
........................................  
  
Goten found it hard to get out of bed. He knew that he had to go back to work. He could hear Soyna and the kids were already up. He could also hear Junior milling around the kitchen. Benot and Legen were already fighting with each other. It sounded like a normal morning.  
  
He had hardly slept at all.  
  
He smiled.  
  
After those confusing days where he was wondering what was wrong with his wife, all the worry was going. It was a wonderful night, even though they didn't talk. As he held her in the afterglow, no other name but his left her lips. She didn't even talk to him but her eyes told him that she was okay. Her little twisted smile told him that she still loved him. Her touch as her hands stroked his tense shoulders told him that she needed him as much as he needed her.  
  
He wished he could stay home and repeat the night's antics but he did have to go to work.  
  
Usually, Soyna woke him up or dragged him out of bed by now but then, she sounded as if her hands were full.  
  
He took a relaxing shower and dressed before he went into the chaos of the kitchen.  
  
Junior was holding a struggling Benot and Legen looked smugly at his brother from his place at the table.  
  
Unfortunately Benot seemed like he was back to normal.  
  
Fortunately, Soyna was.  
  
She was busy with Flint and Flare who were busy eating or rather painting with their breakfast. She had a small smile on her face. She was in a much better mood. Whatever had been bugging her obviously wasn't anymore.  
  
Ah, but the sibling war.  
  
Junior put Benot down. "You two can cut it out now!" He shook his head at the boys. Legen stuck his tongue out at Benot and Benot glared at him.  
  
"What is it this time?" he said and was pleased to see a plate of food set out for him. He was lucky to have such a wife that could cook such great food!  
  
Soyna spoke. "They need to be more considerate of each other."  
  
Benot growled, "he kept me awake all night with video games!"  
  
Legen slammed his cup on the table. "I did NOT!"  
  
-Did So  
-Did not  
-Did So  
-Did not  
-Did So  
-Did Not  
-Did So  
-Did not  
-Did So  
  
"Enough!" Soyna said in a sharp tone. He noticed that her tail had unraveled from under her shirt and was swaying jerkily behind her. She must be getting as tired of this sibling rivalry as he was now.  
  
Both boys stopped and said a weak, "sorry mom," in unison. They both knew that when their mother's tail let loose from around her waist, her patience was wearing thin. She did seem to do that a lot lately. When he first met her, she seldom did that, well, only when they were sparing.  
  
"Grab your lunches and go to school. I also don't want to get called in again over any squabble! Understand." She said.  
  
"Yes mom," they both said but still glared at each other.  
  
"Good. Now. Go." She said and turned back to the other children.  
  
"Yes mom," they both said as they gathered their books.  
  
Goten sat down to eat.  
  
Junior sat beside him. "Is everything okay? Did you get to talk to her?"  
  
He nodded. "Everything is fine now," he said as he beamed at his wife who was shaking her head at the mess that was being created by Flint and Flare.  
  
"Can't I have any of my kids get along!" Her tail was still twitching behind her.  
  
"Are you sure?" Junior said as he took some toast off the table.  
  
He nodded. "Positive!" Everything was going to be okay now.  
  
...............................  
  
Vegeta walked in unannounced. Like he always did. Soyna looked up from the book that she was reading and frowned at him.  
  
"Are you feeling better today," he snapped. He really didn't mean to be so rude, but he still could get over the fact that she refused to train with him! Refused!  
  
She sniffed loudly, "Yes. Much better."  
  
She certainly was acting normal now. He didn't understand her downcast look that she had before. He was certain that was the reason that he didn't argue much with her. It was a look that he saw on Bulma a couple of times in the past. It confused him on her and it confused him even more on Soyna. He was not good with this emotion stuff. He thought Soyna was the one female on this planet that wasn't irrational.  
  
"I missed out on our training," he said.  
  
"You still look like Kakarott beat you silly. I think you can wait until next Sunday. Plus, the kids are napping, I really don't want to wake the monsters," she said as she went back to her book.  
  
He stood their stunned. She was refusing to train with him again. It was in a much ruder way, but she was still refusing. She still must be sick or something.  
  
"I..." he began.  
  
"I really don't want to leave the house Vegeta. I will train with you later," she said without looking up from her book. "I have children to look after."  
  
Damn it. He cursed to himself. He thought he understood her and here she does something that he does not understand in the least! It wasn't like Bulma was busy. Bulma always liked to watch after the kids and it had never bothered her before. What the hell got into her? He hoped that Bulma was wrong. He didn't want to loose her and watch her become a mother.  
  
................................................  
  
Gohan was so glad that the day was over. So very glad. Monday's were always the worst, but at least he didn't have to worry about marking papers tonight and that was enough to put him in a good mood.  
  
"Uh, excuse me sir."  
  
He looked over to see a young blond hared man standing nervously looking at a piece of paper. He looked familiar but he didn't know where he had seen this guy before. He probably just looked like one of his students or had been one of his students. He couldn't remember them all.  
  
"Yes," he said.  
  
"I need to find... 626 C. Lane." He said and looked around the street again.  
  
A nervous delivery man. Well, of course he was. If he had ever delivered in the compound before or had heard the stories about the 'crazies' that lived in there. Vegeta was never a help. He scared off so many of the delivery guys that he was surprised that they even got mail in the compound.  
  
"This way. I'll show you," he said. The man was holding a small box that was wrapped neatly with silver ribbon. Goten must have got her something. Dad had told him that he had done something to upset Soyna and went out to get her a gift. He wondered what he got her?  
  
He escorted the tall man. He frowned. He wasn't wearing a uniform. It must be the last delivery on his route and was trying to get home early.  
  
He looked so familiar, he wished he could place it.  
  
"Here you go," he said and pointed to his brother and Soyna's door. That was when he noticed that he was carrying a small leather purse. A woman's purse. This guy was certainly strange indeed!  
  
He smiled and gave his thanks and nervously knocked on the door.  
  
The door opened sharply, as if Soyna was expecting some one else. He was about to walk away. He did not need to see a delivery man deliver a package. But it was the look of pure shook and horror that came over her face that stopped him.  
  
He couldn't hear what they were saying but Soyna was getting paler and paler as they spoke.  
  
Then he saw her eyes blink and her leg's start to buckle.  
  
Soyna had fainted!  
  
Soyna!  
  
It was not uncommon for every woman in the family to faint with the exception of Pan, but Soyna! The woman wouldn't stop if you tore off her arm!  
  
And she fainted!  
  
And the delivery boy caught her! 


	6. Just a Wish

It Never Ends  
Part 2  
Haunting the Past  
  
  
  
  
Just a Wish.  
  
  
  
  
  
"What happened to mom?" Benot asked as he looked at the faces of the adults. They had that look about them. They didn't want to tell him something. They were trying to protect him. Damn it. He wasn't a baby!  
  
"She's resting," Junior said as he looked over to Gohan and Raymond. At least the wimp wasn't home yet. He would try to be all fatherly and junk. The thought of that made him shiver.  
  
"Why?" he asked.  
  
They did that look again.  
  
Did they think he was blind?  
  
The Last time Mom was in bed ridden was when she still had that poison in her and Vegeta broke her arm. Well, that was the longest anyway... the other time involved the wimp and he preferred not to think about that.  
  
They were still trying to come up with an answer. He would ask mom when she woke up. She wouldn't keep stuff from him anymore. Not after their last talk.  
  
"Hey," he said spotting something different and new. "Where did we get the cool stuffed cat? It looks just like Puar." He picked it up.  
  
He was pretty sure that it would be an out for the adults to talk about something else but their faces got darker and they looked as if they were still having a hard time trying to find an answer to the his question.  
  
"Geez, guys. It is just a stuffed animal," he said. "I think I'll go do my homework and you guys can figure out what you think it would be best to tell me while I do that." He walked out, carrying the stuffed animal under his arm.  
  
He could hear them whispering.  
  
Like he was going to go do his homework.  
  
Can you say, Gullible? Sheesh.  
  
Mom was not resting, she was sitting on the edge of her bed, holding her head. He hoped that she didn't have a headache like she did yesterday.  
  
"Mom?"  
  
She looked up with a weak smile. "When did you get home?"  
  
"Just now," he said and walked up to sit beside her. "Are you okay?"  
  
She nodded and took the stuffed animal from him. She smiled at it. Okay. This was getting really, really weird.  
  
"I just had a fainting spell, that's all," she said and looked at him. "I just had a little shock and I am not adjusting well to shocks lately."  
  
"A shock?" He could feel his anger rising up in him. What did the wimp do? This time, it had to be something that the wimp did. Why else would mom be upset but before he could ask her, she changed the subject.  
  
"Did I ever tell you how I met your father?"  
  
He stared at her wide eyed. Woah! "No," he quickly said.  
  
She kept staring at the stuffed cat. "I never thought that I would have a family of my own. Most of the men were scared of me and my father that I grew up around. They knew that I was strong and I wasn't afraid to use it. Sometimes, when dad was away, they would forget how strong I was, but when dad came back and we would spar again... well, they always remembered."  
  
She smiled with a look of fondness. "It is truly uncanny."  
  
"What?"  
  
She shook her head and put the cat on the pillow at the head of the bed. "Nothing... well anyway. Brennen wasn't afraid of me. He saw through my strength and tomboyish behavior. Of course, his first mistake was getting me flowers. I didn't understand that he was trying to ask me out. I just scoffed at him and told him that I don't like dead things." She smiled brightly and looked as if she was going to laugh. "The next time, he tried to ask me out, he bought me a stuffed animal, very much like this one," she looked over to the cat. "I thought it was cute. I mean. I wasn't used to anyone paying attention to me that way. I was used to the men running from me, so what was I to think about this guy that was looking at him with a nervous smile and a stumble in his step..." she stopped and looked grim.  
  
"Mom?"  
  
"I am a little hungry. Can you tell the worry warts that I am hungry. They told me not to get out of bed, so, they can serve me and can you see if Goten is home?" She said.  
  
Goten. The wimp. Well, whatever made mom happy.  
  
He wondered why she decided to tell him about how she first met dad? Oh well. He watched her lie back down and hug the stuffed cat.  
  
Where did she get that from?  
  
.........................................................................  
  
  
Pan tapped her foot at Trunks who was trying to explain to her how important this was for the business.  
  
The guy that used to skip out on work whenever he could was now spending much too much time at work! The guy that used to whine to her during their lunches together that he hated his job and that he would rather be training but now didn't have time for lunch with his WIFE! WIFE!  
  
Trunk's was doing everything but looking at her. He kept shuffling his feet as if he was twelve again.  
  
She still glared at him.  
  
He looked at her and quickly darted his eyes back down with a quick gasp. Good. She was glad that he was scared and nervous. He deserved it.  
  
"I promise, after this week, I will have everything straightened up and I will get this back to normal. I promise," he said, talking to the floor.  
  
"Trust me," she said and was impressed at the level of anger and mocking in her voice. "If you don't keep this promise to me, you will be making the spare room, yours!"  
  
Trunks jumped and looked all guilty. Good! He deserved it! After turning away from her like that when she bought that outfit just for him! I mean really!  
  
.........................................................  
  
Trunks wiped his forehead as she left the room. He had most of the arrangements already made. Thankfully. The week was going to just drag now. He knew it. She was still so mad at him but he would announce Saturday morning that they were going on their honeymoon and she would forgive him.  
  
He prayed.  
  
Damn. He thought he was the one related to Vegeta.  
  
............................................................  
  
Brennen rubbed his throat as he looked in the mirror. He was sure that he was going to have on hell of a bruise there. He could see the bluish marks start to form. Damn, that guy was strong and so was she, for stopping him from crushing his throat. They guy looked like he was in pain when she pulled his arm back!  
  
So much for a simple return of the purse and he had thought that the stuffed cat would make up for upsetting her the park, not cause her to faint. He never intended that to happen at all.  
  
He had caught her and she woke up almost instantly. He was about to ask her if she was okay, when the guy that gave him directions to the house, had him up against the wall and was crushing his throat.  
  
She had stopped him from crushing his throat by pulling the man's arm back, despite how pale and weak she looked, and she certainly wasn't a fragile thing.  
  
He apologized for upsetting her again.  
  
The man just glared at him and that was very unnerving just that but seeing her look so pale was more disturbing. Especially, when it was his fault.  
  
He was glad to hear that she remembered his name. The man looked stunned at hearing his name and just stared. He quickly apologized again and told her that the gift was to make up for him upsetting her in the park. He saw the look on her face as she opened it. She was happy and her eyes sparkled.  
  
The man was coming out of his shock and looking at him angrily again. He began to say his goodbyes, stumbling over his words and his feet as he left. He cursed himself for being so ungraceful. Only around pretty girls did he do that but not as bad as he was doing it then.  
  
He rubbed his throat again.  
  
He doubted that he would ever see her again. Not with her fainting and how that guy looked at him. He doubted that he would survive very long if she hanged around guys like that.  
  
He sighed.  
  
But he already knew that. Out of all the times that he had seen her. He only saw her that once without one of those muscle bound dolt's attached to her side.  
  
Damn it.  
  
He didn't have a chance.  
  
..............................................................................  
  
"Why are you all here?" Goten said as he threw his bag down on the ground as he walked in the door. "Where is Soyna?"  
  
Goten didn't like the look on their faces.  
  
Everything was okay when he left. What happened? Well, he thought everything was alright.  
  
And why was Gohan here?  
  
He had that bad feeling in his gut and he didn't much care for it.  
  
"You better sit down," Gohan said.  
  
The feeling in his gut didn't get much better.  
  
.................................................................................  
  
Vegeta stopped his lone training. He felt something very wrong but it wasn't like a power reading. It didn't feel like an evil power. It just felt wrong. He shook his head and started to move again and punch his invisible opponents, but his heart was no longer in it.  
  
The feeling was gone now.  
  
But its memory still disturbed him.  
  
He knew that it was probably just because Soyna turned down an invitation to train.  
  
Again.  
  
He didn't want to admit how much that bugged him. It never bothered him that his own son didn't train much with him anymore or the fact that his daughter never had the desire to fight, so why did the fact that Soyna was no longer willing to train with him?  
  
He sighed deeply and realized that he stopped the punching.  
  
Legen and Fry willingly trained with him and Benot tried too, even though he was rather clumsy about it, but they were not strong enough yet for him to use any strength with them. Plus, their mothers were always insisting that they do their homework first before they could train.   
  
Soyna always said that she didn't want her children to be fighters. She said that they deserved a child hood that did not involve death.  
  
Then the next generation was mostly all girls! Even though Soyna was a fighter, would any of them turn out like her? He had big doubts about that. Soyna was one of a kind and he knew it. Even with the limited Saiyian blood, she was as strong as he was and he was sure that if she trained harder, she could be the strongest ever.  
  
His blood line.  
  
He crossed his arms and powered down.  
  
The mixing of the lines could lead to powerful children. Powerful heirs. His son's child. Crystal. She did not show any signs of strength yet, but he was sure that it would come. He was more certain with Soyna's children. Flint and Flare. They were not showing sign's yet either, but with Soyna's strength and Goten's, he was sure that at least Flint would be a strong one.  
  
If they would let them train properly!  
  
He was not in the mood to fight anymore.  
  
He was getting a headache.  
  
When did life get so complicated. It was so much easier when he just destroyed things.  
  
.............................................................................................  
  
  
Goku frowned. He did not feel right.  
  
It took him a moment to realize the dragon was warm. The tattoo was warm! He rubbed his belly. How did that happen? Why was it happening?  
  
He stood in his living room staring at the walls. Trying to think if this had ever happened before. He could not recall.  
  
"Goku!" He turned at the sing song voice of ChiChi as she stood in the kitchen door way. "Supper will be ready soon!" She quickly turned away and went back to her work.  
  
The feeling wasn't going away! Was it getting warmer? Did this mean something bad was happening? No. No. He shook his head. It has been nearly two years since the wishes were made. Maybe it was just telling him that he could grant more wishes now.  
  
The warmth started to fade.  
  
Yeah. That must be it.  
  
Even though it only ever took a year before.  
  
The warmth was gone now and the smell of the food that she was cooking was strong. It was time to go eat.  
  
.............................................................................................  
  
  
Goten sat on the edge of the bed next to his wife. He knew that she wasn't sleeping but she made no mood towards him. She was holding that stuffed cat.  
  
He had sat their silently for awhile, trying to digest what he had been told by his brother and the even more shocking news that Raymond had told him.  
  
He knew now why she had been mad at him. He also knew why she had come home crying that day too.  
  
One set of news he was happy about, the other, he was not.  
  
"You could have told me," he said.  
  
"I wasn't ready yet," she said in a whisper. "I was in shock myself over all that had happened."  
  
He looked over to her. He wanted to tear that stuffed animal away from her. Junior had told him about that. He didn't like that thought at all. He was his wife now. That other stuff was in the past! He was here! That's all that should matter.  
  
"What about the baby?" he said and could hear and feel the anger rising in him. "When were you going to tell me about that!"  
  
She looked right at him, but didn't say a word! Not a word! He let the silence hand for a little while.  
  
"I..." Goten took a deep breath. "Raymond told me that you are already three months along."  
  
"I didn't know until I went to see him about why my power level was dropping so dramatically in the last while. Vegeta almost beat me the other day," she said. "I didn't know before then."  
  
"Why didn't you tell me!" He almost yelled.  
  
"My mind was clouded with images from the past and I... I was confused," she said.  
  
He could feel his anger souring and it was all he could do from powering up right there. "I am your husband now! Not him! Damn it! I love you and isn't that enough."  
  
She sighed. "Of course it is," she said in a whisper, "but seeing him..."  
  
"He betrayed you! You told me that! He betrayed you!" Goten stood and backed away from the bed. "You told me that he went to the comfort of some other woman! How could you still feel that way towards him! He BETRAYED YOU!"  
  
"I know that," she said. But she was still holding that damn stuffed cat! "I remembered the times that were good." He wanted to shake her and bring her back to her senses! "I had loved him and that is hard to forget, especially when I saw him."  
  
"That is the past!" he yelled. He really didn't mean to yell! Why was he yelling. He shouldn't be yelling at her in her condition.  
  
"It is MY past," her voice was not high but her teeth were clenched. "MINE!!"  
  
"So," he knew that he shouldn't say this but it was going to come out anyway, "I mean nothing to you! We do have a past together!"  
  
He could almost see fire in her green eyes, "It was a different world when I met him!"  
  
"So, why the hell are you letting it bother you! We should be celebrating the fact that we are going to have another child! You should not be worrying about a dead man!" Goten didn't think he could have ever been so angry with her! He loved her. Why was he yelling at her so cruelly?  
  
She glared at him. "I didn't want to become a baby machine!" she said. "Those damn pills didn't work! Alright! I didn't want another child right now, if it is only one! I was working through those feeling when I saw my first husband! He approached me! Me! I didn't go to him! I wasn't even thinking about him!" she was holding that stuffed animal so tight now that he thought it was going to burst! "The last two were hard on me! Damn it! Didn't you listen to Raymond when he said that I had to take those pills to make sure that I didn't get pregnant again for awhile! Didn't you hear him tell me that my body went through a lot of strain with our twins!"  
  
He blinked at her. He had forgotten. How could he be so stupid? No wonder she was upset. Boy. He really felt like an idiot now.  
  
"I may loose this kid, because my body is not ready for it! I don't want that to happen!" She snapped. "I had enough of a shock that day and he saw that I was upset and he tried to comfort me! He..." She clenched her teeth and growled lightly. "It was like going back in time," her voice was soft now.  
  
She had loosed the grip on the stuffed cat and was looking at it with much to much fondness.  
  
"You didn't have to run away from me!" he said. "You know that I love you."  
  
That is when she glared at him with almost hate. "It was just a wish Goten. A wish made by a boy who wanted a father. You don't love me," she said and swung her legs out of the bed and stalked into the bathroom.  
  
He stood their stunned. He didn't even know what to think.  
  
........... 


	7. By her side

Merry Christmas everybody..!  
  
Enjoy this addition to the tale that has spawned from my fragile little mind. (he-he.. I am in such a giddy mood today)  
  
  
Haunt7  
  
It Never Ends  
Part 2  
Haunting the Present  
  
  
  
  
By Her Side  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
He had not laughed so hard in years!  
  
He saw her faint and fall - actually fall - into Brennen's arms! He couldn't arrange that! He really wished that he could see inside the house. Those people milling around sure looked nervous and oh! The look of hope on Brennen's face was priceless.  
  
He could not plan that!  
  
All his scheming to get them together and they were doing so well on their own.  
  
They were doomed.  
  
A triumph.  
  
He rewound the tape and watched her swoon again. He found that he was actually giggling. If Goten had been there, that would have been cherry. Just cherry!  
  
He looked at the live cam.  
  
He could see the one they called Junior pacing by a window. The former blind one.  
  
His good mood withered as other thoughts intruded. How did they cure the poison? They still had the scars. He saw them. Goten with the white mark surrounding his throat, Trunks with the barely noticeable one on his cheek.  
  
Then there was Soyna and the coil on her arm and Junior had nearly been blinded by the poison. He was shocked to discover that they had poison at the failed tournament and confused over the mention of time travel.  
  
There were a lot of inventions that the Brief's family had hidden in that compound and with the Capsule technology, they were nearly impossible to track or copy.  
  
He really wanted to know more about the time travel and the time that those two came from. He knew very little about that other time and it was mostly about Trunks. Just some images of a teen boy with his younger counterpart. Then he was a boy one day and a man almost the next. He was not sure that it all had to do with time travel because of Gohan. The boy had aged quickly as well. They all grew amazingly strong in a short period of time, during the cell games.  
  
Did that have to do with time travel?  
  
He didn't think that part had to deal with time travel. He didn't know why, but he had a feeling that there was something else there.  
  
He sighed heavily. He wished the records were clearer.  
  
He rewound the tape and watched it again.  
  
Damn them.  
  
Who were they really?  
  
They were so much more than just warriors.  
  
He did wish that he could fight them one on one. That was how he was trained to fight. Not this sneaky stuff that his father did, but he knew that he would be quickly crushed. There was no honor in this fight, but then that didn't matter anymore.  
  
He had to win!  
  
Destroy the pesky Saiyain's. Finish the job that everyone else failed to do, even the mighty Freeza!  
  
He watched her crumple into her former husbands arms.  
  
He would get his revenge.  
  
He leaned back in his chair and rubbed his hands through his newly dyed black hair. His hair had grown long during his stay on this planet and he rather liked it that way. Sometimes it was a bother as it fell into his eyes, but even his contacts didn't hid the shock of the pale blue that was there. The green dulled it a bit. A darker blue contact made him look scary and he was not going to look so normal with brown contacts!  
  
He looked through his other tapes.  
  
Well, this was interesting. Trunk's was planning a get away. He tapped away at the computer screen. He could do something with that. Probably trying to make up to Pan for all the time that he was spending at the office. He grinned even wider. He could definitely do something with this!  
  
But he would worry about that tomorrow. Screwing up records in the computer was not much of a challenge and he could do that on his lunch break.  
  
He had to worry about his next target.  
  
.....................................................  
  
Trunk's finalized the plans. A private resort. A private plane. There own little bungalow on the beach. Just them! He had already pleaded with mom to take care of Crystal and set up a complete web at work so that he could get the time off.  
  
She was going to be so surprised.  
  
He grinned as he came home and was greeted by his happy little girl. Her purple hair tied in a white ribbon to match a white dress, which was remarkably still clean. A wide grin, which was her mothers, and a sparkle in her eyes as she babbled to him about what she did that day.  
  
Then she asked, "Did you have a good day daddy?"  
  
"Better than yesterday," he said. And that was the truth. Work may have still been hellish but the thought of getting out of the doghouse with Pan was enough to lighten up them most miserable day. And the sight of his little girl. She was such a happy child.  
  
He was glad that his children would never have to worry about fighting or training to save the universe. They could enter tournaments and do it for fun, but they wouldn't have to worry if they were going to have to die for the planet.  
  
"Mommy!" Crystal screamed. "DADDY'S HOME!" and she jumped from his arms.  
  
He rubbed his ears. She definitely inherited her grandmothers voice. He looked to see Pan. She still looked slightly angry with him.  
  
He involuntarily winced.  
  
He knew that it would be resolved soon, but he didn't like her looking at him like that. He knew that once she knew what was planned, she would be forgiven for all his late nights and weekends runs into the office. He had to wait.  
  
"We are having lasagna for supper!" Crystal announced. "I even help make it! I put the cheese on the top!"  
  
He smiled brightly and walked into the kitchen. He gave Pan a quick hug and a kiss on the cheek. She smelled really good. Crystal was still bouncing around the kitchen telling him in detail about how she put the cheese on the lasagna.  
  
He did love Pan. He loved his daughter. He would have to ask Pan if she wanted to have another baby. Maybe a boy. Not just to please his dad, but he would like to have a boy.  
  
"What are you grinning at?" Pan asked.  
  
"Oh, Just day dreaming." He said and gave her another quick kiss. Yeah. He definatly would like to have another kid with her. This way they would not be to far apart in age. His sister and him were not that close because of the age difference... well, and the fact that Vegeta favored her a hell of a lot more than him didn't help either.  
  
"Supper smells great," he said and went to pick up his daughter who was working herself in a tizzy about cheese and mispronouncing the names.  
  
He looked to Pan and smiled brightly at her. She was not as stern looking as yesterday. By Friday, he would have things back to normal.  
  
.................................  
  
"Goku?"  
  
He looked up from his food which he no longer had the stomach for. He hardly ate any of it and he could see ChiChi looking at him worriedly.  
  
He didn't like how he felt. The tattoo was no longer warm but now he just had a wrong feeling in his gut. It wasn't like the power readings before when he felt evil. This wasn't anything like that. There was just something wrong.  
  
"Are you done eating?"  
  
He nodded and stood up from the table.  
  
"Are you feeling alright?"  
  
He nodded and tried to put on his best smile.  
  
She did not look convinced, as she looked at him and surveyed the food that was still on the table. "Goku, you don't just walk away from food." Her voice took on that stern quality.  
  
"I'm sorry ChiChi. I'm just not hungry anymore," he said. She just about fell over when he said that.  
  
"Are you SURE that you are feeling alright?" ChiChi said getting over the shock and a look of amazement came over her as she looking at the food that was still on the table.  
  
"Yeah. Fine. I just... I just am going to go for a walk." He stood from the table and darted towards the door. Maybe some exercise would get rid of the feeling.  
  
What could possibly be going wrong?  
  
  
.........................................................  
  
Goten wanted to rip something apart. He never wanted to rip something apart more than he wanted to do right them. He had stared at the door with her words ripping through him for what seemed like forever.  
  
"It wasn't just a wish," he whispered as he continued to walk. It wasn't. He loved her before the wish. Didn't she remember that he was nearly hunted her and, most importantly, didn't she remember that stolen kiss at the tournament. She enjoyed that kiss before they were interrupted. That was before the wish. BEFORE! He knew that she had enjoyed that kiss.  
  
He had thought about ripping the door down and shaking some sense into her and most importantly, shred that stuffed cat. Junior had told him the significance of it. He couldn't believe that Brennen was courting his wife the exact way he did in the other time! He could understand why it upset her but... He thought that she had moved on.  
  
He really wished he had the guts to shred that stuffed cat.  
  
But he didn't.  
  
With the pain and the rage in him, he heard her tun on the shower. He turned to go and kept on walking. Past his brother and her brother and a worried looking Raymond. He thought they were saying something but he didn't hear them as he walked past them.  
  
"It wasn't just a wish."  
  
He hands twitched.  
  
His jaw ached.  
  
His eyes burned.  
  
"It wasn't just a wish!" He nearly screamed this. He was relieved that there was no one around when he screamed this.   
  
He felt like he was going insane.  
  
What would he do if she went back to Brennen?  
  
His eyes burned.  
  
He wasn't going to cry.  
  
What about what he had said at the tournament. He had promised her that he would wait for and stay by her side... and here he was running away. He stopped walking.  
  
He was being a fool.  
  
She was just angry and he was just angry. He stared at his feet. She didn't mean it. She couldn't. She did care about him before the wish was made. She did let him kiss her that one time! Would they have got together if Legen hadn't made that wish?  
  
He didn't know the answer to that.  
  
Didn't need to know the answer to that.  
  
He would have stood by her side no matter what and he knew that. He had loved her and nothing would have stopped him from being by her side! That is all that mattered. He loved her.  
  
She was just confused with the sight of Brennen and all. He couldn't blame her. She never really got to resolve her feeling towards him with all that happened.  
  
He would just stay by her side until she came out of it!  
  
"Son?" He turned around to see his father standing there looking at him curiously. "What are you doing out here?"  
  
He shrugged. "Just had to calm down a bit." He had to get back home and talk to her. He had to get Brennen out of her head and push himself back in! He was her husband now. That is all that should matter and she had to take care of herself and the new baby. She needed him and he was running away like a coward.  
  
"Are you okay?" He felt his dad's hand on his shoulder and he nearly broke down in tears. He told his father everything that had happened and watched as a shocked looked came over his face.  
  
"I said some really stupid things," he whispered.  
  
"She really said that!" he said. He wouldn't stop blinking his eyes. It was rather annoying.  
  
"Yes, dad," he sighed. "I should get back. I kind of left rudely."  
  
"Right," Dad said and rubbed the back of his head. "Wow. I'm going to be a grandpa again!" He had a large grin on his face, as if he suddenly forgot everything else.  
  
Goten rolled his eyes and started to walk back home. Dad missed the whole point of what he just told him.  
  
....................................  
  
"What the hell is your problem?"  
  
Vegeta looked over to Bulma who was glaring at him with a fury that he had not seen in a couple of months. She must have been trying to talk to him.  
  
"Didn't you hear a word I said! This is important."  
  
"Whatever," he mumbled. Her level of important seldom was his.  
  
"You didn't hear me!" She said and stormed towards him, poking her finger into his chest. "Benot and Legen are staying over tonight!"  
  
He growled. Great. He didn't want the house full of brats, especially those two. They yell at each other a lot lately and it was rather annoying rather than taking the fight to where they probably could resolve their difference. A couple of black eyes never hurt any one.  
  
"Don't you want to know WHY they are staying over here tonight? Huh?" Her finger continued to poke him. "If you had been listening to me, you would know why!"  
  
"Get to the point," he was not in the mood for this.  
  
She rolled her eyes and placed her fists on her hips. "Soyna met Brennen the other day..." He blinked at her. He didn't know a Brennen. So what was the big deal. "...and then he came back today to return her purse and gave her a little 'I'm Sorry' gift. She fainted. Gohan nearly killed him, but she stopped him and that is not the end of it..." She needed to take a breath. "...she is pregnant again and..." That would explain why she didn't want to train. That made him feel a little better anyway. "...Raymond has ordered her to rest..." She wasn't turning her back from him. Such a relief. What would he do without her to train with? "...She got in a huge fight with Goten..." those two never fought. It was almost sickening. "...and I thought that it would be better for the boys to sleep away from that for a while and this way, she can get some rest so that she doesn't loose the baby." He didn't think she paused in the whole time. There was only one thing that he needed to know.  
  
"Who's Brennen?"  
  
She looked at him with shock. "Her former husband, you idiot!" She rubbed her forehead. "God, you can be so dense!"  
  
He watched her walk out of the room and stood there in shock.  
  
She hardly talked about Brennen to him. Just a mention in passing. She talked about that with the others. She never bothered him with those details. He didn't think that she was that attached to him.  
  
.............................................  
  
Videl looked at Gohan who looked rather worried. He had his glasses stuck in his hair as he was busy holding two fussy kids. Flint and Flare had just been pulling each other tails again and they were fighting with each other yet again.  
  
"Do you think they'll be okay?" Videl asked. Those two never fought, well, expect for sparing but that didn't count. "How bad was it?"  
  
Gohan sighed. "Pretty bad," He pulled back Flint who was trying to get back at Flare who seemed to be teasing her brother. "Goten was so out of it. It was almost scary to see him walk past us like that. I didn't know what was said but he left muttering, 'It's not just a wish.'" Gohan sighed again. "I am so glad that we never had twins. How does she do it?"  
  
Videl sighed and took Flint from his arms. "Well hopefully, everything will be okay tomorrow once they cool off a bit." She said. "It would be such a shame."  
  
Gohan looked at the little girl in his arms, which was the mirror image of Soyna. He knew what Videl meant and he didn't like that thought at all.  
  
................................................  
  
  
  
A/N  
  
Well, there is another suspense filled chapter!  
I hope you all enjoyed it. I can not gaurantee that I will be posting next Monday, due to the hetic week that is upon us, but I will try. I have so many ideas to write it is keeping me awake at night... (Evil laughter here)... Plus I also got a new game -FFX- to occupy me and believe me it is occupying my time...   
  
Oh yeah, houria... quit reading my mind!!! (Just kidding)  
  
Soyna 


	8. New Love

I know... it took forever for me to upload, but here it is. Don't be shy now, you readers and review me!! Keep me on my toes.  
  
  
New Love? Who could it be?  
  
  
INE  
Haunting the Past.  
Part 8  
  
New Love  
  
  
Goku sat staring at the wall. He found himself tugging on his newly torn night shirt, trying not to think about the dream that he just had or the warmth of the dragon in his body.  
  
Something was wrong.  
  
His thoughts went to Soyna, no matter how hard he tried to push those thoughts back.  
  
She was the woman that married his son. He knew that it had to do with her. She was haunting his dreams... or was he haunting hers... either way... he didn't want to think about it. He knew was Goten had told him ... maybe it was just this Brennen that was causing this uneasy feeling. She was so strong... It had to be this Brennen. Her former husband who suddenly appeared in her life once again. It obviously upset her. He saw how sad her eyes were, even when she was trying to show a brave face in front of her children.  
  
There was a sadness in there that she should no longer have.  
  
He didn't want to think of the dream.  
  
Her warrior side had started out pouting in the shadows. The meeker Soyna, no longer tied down, like in the last dream, was sitting forlornly on the bed with her knees hugged to her chest. Her hair was flatter than he had ever seen it and it covered her eyes.  
  
The warrior looked tense and looked like she was purposely avoiding looking at him. The meek Soyna looked at him with almost fear in her eyes. She was shaking slightly.  
  
The meek Soyna finally spoke in a soft voice that he doubted the real Soyna had ever used, "I want to go home."  
  
He looked at her as she resumed rocking herself and rested her forehead on her knees. The warrior sniffed loudly from the shadows. He looked to her as she walked out, looking angry at him.  
  
She grabbed his shirt and pulled his face down to her eye level. Her eyes were on fire. "That is all that she says now! Home! About how peaceful it was! How uncomplicated it was! Blah, blah, blah, blah, BLAH!" She pulled harder to emphases her point and he could hear his shirt tear.  
  
That was the first thing that bothered him.  
  
She pulled him closer, "If allowed her to weaken and allow those feeling which I tried so hard to push back to surface. Even when she was dead, she pined for home. Moaning and groaning for her husband, whom she couldn't be with even in death. Or even worse, groaning about your son! Gag!" the Warrior Soyna let go of his shirt. "It is truly pathetic," she scoffed and looked over to the weaker version of herself.  
  
"How did I weaken her?" he said and took a step back. He wasn't afraid of her. He wasn't. He just wasn't sure of her.  
  
Those eyes glared at him furiously, full of venom; if not actual hate. "You granted those fool wishes. You should not have allowed them - Boys - Babies to make those wishes." Her voice never sounded so rough! "We would have been happier ALONE!"  
  
"What?" He looked at her stunned.  
  
"I was resigned to be alone!" The warrior screamed at him. "I was happy being a warrior and at least in death, that it what I could be! They let me fight and train there! Here! What the hell am I? A mother? That is not what I wanted to be! You let those feeling that I locked up and pushed aside come forth!" The warrior was furious now. There were sparks of energy come off of her and he could feel how strong she was. She was so very strong. Was the real Soyna that strong. "I got trapped by Brennen and then your son!"  
  
"I thought you were happy," he said in a near whisper.  
  
"I wasn't! She was!" She violently pointed to the Soyna who was rocking on the bed. The one that was not powered up and still had red hair. "I am a warrior! What do I need with pesky connections! This is all that I should be! You," her finger jabbed into his chest for emphasis. Her lip curled as she was searching for the right words to express her anger. "Must you ruin all the Saiyian blood!"  
  
He was speechless.  
  
"Get out of my dream," she hissed. "Go haunt someone else." The warrior walked over to the bed and put her arm around the weeping woman.  
  
He woke up.  
  
Bothered.  
  
His shirt torn.  
  
He fingered the torn shirt. He must have torn it in his sleep. She didn't tear it. It was only a dream. The dragon was no longer warm, so he pushed that worry to the back of his head.   
  
The place where she poked her finger hurt too. He rubbed it.  
  
That was the second thing that bothered him. The dream was just do damn real. He didn't want to have another dream like that ever again.  
  
The third thing was how he felt.  
  
He had always been around strength. He was used to strength in everyone around him. They may not be as strong as him, but that could not be expected.  
  
Bulma was always strong in her own way. She did not have the physical strength but she could sure prove how strong minded she was. Hell, she somehow got Vegeta to marry her! That was something that he thought that he would never see.  
  
Then there was ChiChi. She was physically strong and mentally strong. He just could not refuse her and that was one of things that he fell in love with. She was fierce in so many ways, yet she was still a woman.  
  
There was no one stronger than his wife, or at least, there wasn't. Times have changed.  
  
It disturbed him a lot to be thinking of such things.  
  
................................  
  
  
Goten didn't like what he was hearing. She was tossing something fierce in her dream. He couldn't make out what she was saying but he was still worried. He couldn't sleep at all.  
  
He had promised her that he would always be here for her.  
  
She only looked more confused and torn with that.  
  
She said that she was tired and wanted to sleep. He knew from her soft tone, that he would be sleeping on the couch. Not that he slept anyway. He could hear every sound that she made and when she woke up looking particularly disturbed, he made her some soothing herbal tea, which she did take a few sips of before she fell back off to sleep.  
  
He kept telling himself that it was just a phase. She would get over the shock. Her system just needed time to adjust and then things would be back to normal.  
  
He would get his Soyna back and he would prove it to her that it wasn't just a wish.  
  
.......................................  
  
Trunks rifled thought the papers as he walked down the hall. A small pile which was supposed to go on Junior's desk, not his. It all had to do with the software department and that was one of the first departments that he gave to Junior. He really had to talk to that new secretary. She was always trying to find excuses to go into his office, even after the other secretary's told her that he was married.  
  
He looked at the papers. He wasn't that upset over the misplacement. It got him out of his chair for a minute anyway. His office was becoming stifling anyway. His mind was far away from work a he kept thinking about the planned surprise honeymoon.  
  
It also gave him and excuse to talk to Junior. He wanted to know how Soyna and Goten were doing. Pan had told him about what had happened. Good news travels fast but bad even faster.  
  
He was especially worried about Soyna. He tried - really tried - to push those fatherly thoughts back, but that was nearly impossible. He knew that he wasn't her father, but he also never wanted to see her hurt, disappointed or anything that would upset her. He wasn't her father but he was close enough.  
  
Goten better not have upset her too much or else he would have to have a serious conversation with him.  
  
He walked into the entranceway into Junior office and was glad to see that his secretary was gone from the desk. Another flirt that he didn't have to fend off. It was turning into a nice day. He was about to let himself into Junior office when he heard a loud smack and a woman's voice to follow that sounded rather angry. "You didn't call me!" The woman was not his secretary. The voice was familiar but he couldn't quite place it.  
  
"I'm really sorry, but..."  
  
"We had a date! A DATE! You didn't even call! Your fingers look just fine to me! Did you loose your voice!" Boy, did she sound angry. A date? He didn't even know that Junior was dating anyone.  
  
"I'm sorry, It just got so hectic..."  
  
"HECTIC!"  
  
Another smack.  
  
"You forgot about me!" The woman sounded as if she were in tears now.  
  
He couldn't hear clearly anymore. His eaves dropping skills have dropped off in recent years due to the fact that he didn't do that anymore. He didn't have to find out what was wrong with Soyna anymore by listening at door, but it was still amazing how much you remembered.  
  
Trunks slowly opened the door and looked into the room.  
  
This was... well... interesting.  
  
..........................................  
  
He wanted to bash his head into the wall. He was thinking like his father and that was not good. Not good at all. He didn't need to make the same mistakes as his father.  
  
Why was he thinking of her that way?  
  
He had the opportunity to get close to eavesdrop. He wanted to hear them and find out what was going on in that house. The curiosity was killing him.  
  
He 'volunteered' at the hospital, always in the area where Raymond worked. He never found out anything in the past, but there was always a first time. He had hoped to find out how he had managed to save Soyna after that explosion and if he had done anything to cure that poison, but that information was not here.  
  
Soyna was going to Raymond's office for some tests. He was curious about those tests and was shocked to find out that she was pregnant. He wondered if he could use that to his advantage. He knew that her power level's would drop dramatically because of it. That was good news anyway.  
  
She was wearing a short black top with the word Red written across her chest. Her pants were baggy gray sweat pats with the top rolled down over her tail, so that if you didn't know it was there, you wouldn't see it.  
  
She was in a terrible mood. He stopped himself from laughing as she glared at a nurse, who dropped the tray of pills. Raymond told her to behave and they kept on walking. She gave Raymond a serious smirk and crossed her arms under her breast and kept on walking.  
  
He watched her walk down the hall and marveled at how her hips swayed and her hair bounced against her shoulders and how smooth the skin looked on her back above her tail... he shook off the thoughts. He could not afford to think like his father! That is how his father made mistakes. He could not afford to loose!  
  
He thought he got himself under control as he went about his 'volunteer' duties, but he didn't think he would get this close. He was just hoping to hack into Raymonds computer later but he ended up in the room where Soyna was sleeping on a table with a bunch of stuff hooked up to her stomach.  
  
He put the tray of food that he was told to bring in here down, by her face. Raymond was busy studying a chart with a deep frown.  
  
Her eyes flashed open and he jumped. She seemed to smile at his discomfort. "I hope this is to your liking," he said trying not to look nervous.  
  
Raymond looked up at him. "Thank you Gill," the name that he used here. "If you could just sort the files I have on my desk for me, that would be great."  
  
"Sure thing," he said and found himself nervously backing away from here. That smile was unnerving. She blinked a few times, sniffed loudly, then closed her eyes and turned her head away from him.  
  
All he could think off when he left that room, was her long graceful neck and how her hair framed it just so... He couldn't even concentrate on hacking into the computer, so he just did the files and left.  
  
Damn her!  
  
He really had to take his mind off her for a bit.  
  
He looked over to the next room.  
  
It was to early for that! Much to early! The tests were not that good with it. From the tests that he had done, a few walked a way blind, a few dumb and a few dead.  
  
But it worked.  
  
It would take his mind off of her for a little while at least.  
  
But he would need someone that KNEW something. Not just the human's that he picked off the street.  
  
He smiled. Yes. That would make him feel so much better.  
  
He wasn't going to use it for awhile yet. It was playing his hand too soon, but maybe it was time that they knew someone was looking in through the shadows.  
  
....................................  
  
"Dad!" A panicked looking Junior blurted out as he looked up from the woman he was talking too. They quickly pulled back from each other and both looked at the floor with deep flushes on their faces.  
  
Trunks first had to get over the stunned part of Junior calling him dad. He knew that Junior didn't have anything against him, like Soyna did in the beginning but he never called him his father or anything of the sort. He knew that it must be the shock of the thing.  
  
He smiled and looked at them, acting like they were five years old and caught eating ice cream for breakfast.  
  
"I mean, Trunks... I... I... OH... What are you doing here?... I mean..." Junior gave out a sigh and rubbed his forehead. "Oh man."  
  
"Hi," the woman said with her hands behind her back and a flush on her cheeks. She was almost twisting her feet.  
  
"Hello Marron," he said. "I haven't seen you in awhile."  
  
"Been rather busy," she said.  
  
"I see that."  
  
They both turned brighter shades of red. Is this how his dad felt when he caught him with Pan?  
  
"Well, I... I do have to get back to work," she said grabbing a jacket off a chair. She whispered a call me to Junior and was out the door as quick as that.  
  
He looked to Junior with raised eyebrows.  
  
"You won't tell right?" Junior said. Junior was still looking at the floor and his face still was bright red.  
  
"Why are you keeping it a secret?" Trunks said. "You know that Pan and I made that same mistake. It just makes things worse. How long has this been going on?"  
  
"Well," Junior said shuffling his feet and leaning against his desk. "About a year now." He rubbed his unnaturally spiky hair that he had trimmed down a bit since he started to work here.  
  
A year! Before he could get over the shock of that Junior kept talking. "I had to keep it a secret. Sis would blow her top. You know that she hates the androids still. I mean, you weren't there when she first saw 18. She nearly tore her apart before we could stop her. She would absolutely loose it if she found out and I just don't... damn it. I know it's selfish, but I don't want what happened to you to happen to me. I mean, you had Gohan wanting to rib you apart. He still does! Then you hardly saw Pan... Man... You can't tell her. You will upset her. She doesn't need something else on the pile. Da... I mean..." He grabbed his head in his hands and took a deep breath. "Are you mad at me?"  
  
Trunks just smiled. As much as he knew that the secret was wrong, he understood. "At least you didn't get caught in bed."   
  
  
  
  
...................... 


	9. A new twist

I had an anonymous reviewer for one of my stories who was greatly confused by the tale that I told... all I have to say, is read on and it becomes clear. If you want a reply sent to you, or a notification when I have updated one of my few stories, leave and e-mail address and I will get back to you when I can.  
  
The rest of my loyal fans, keep reading and review my tale. I know that I have slowed down, but my life has sped up... sorry.  
  
  
  
  
It Never Ends  
Haunting the Present.  
  
Part 9  
  
  
A New Twist.  
  
  
  
Benot really hated his brother. He was teased all day by the guys at school about the large bruise on his cheek. Of course, Legen didn't help either.  
  
He also hated Vegeta.  
  
It was both their faults.  
  
Vegeta had told them to quit yelling at each other and just get it out of their systems. He was eager to comply and took the first swing at his brother.  
  
Why was he stronger than him?  
  
He rubbed the bruise and glared at his brother who looked smugly at him from across the room.  
  
He trained so much more than his brother and yet he was the stronger one! It was so very annoying! Of course, the way that Vegeta just crossed his arms and shook his head didn't help his pride much either, or the comment that he wasn't meant to hear, "I hope your siblings are stronger than you are."  
  
He rubbed the bruise again.  
  
Mom would stand up for him and Legen would be banned from playing video games, not him! Then, maybe, he could sleep in his own bed with that annoying beeping coming from the game room.  
  
"BENOT!"  
  
He jumped and looked up. The teacher was glaring at him. The class was giggling. Great. He knew what was coming. Detention and a letter home.  
  
He sank in his chair as the teacher ranting about how much trouble he was in.  
  
....................  
  
"Hey dude! What is with that gnarly turtleneck." Jamna said and tugged on the sleeve of the shirt.  
  
Brennen flushed. He was hoping no one would notice. He knew that the yellow was a little bright, but it did hide the bruise on his neck quite nicely, and that is all that concerned him. He wore a black vest over it, trying to disguise it a little bit, but of course, Jamna would question it.  
  
He rubbed his throat. "Just out of clean laundry," and smiled. He did not want people to see the bruise. How would he explain that he was nearly strangled by a stranger for giving someone that he thought was the most beautiful woman in the world a present and that she fainted and that... he had to stop his mind from rambling. It was just too much information for him to deal with and it happened to him.  
  
"Oh dude!" Jamna laughed. "Hey! You delivered that purse right! Oh man! MAN! How grateful was he? Is that a hickey under there?" Jamna was absolutely giddy!  
  
He quickly pulled away from him as Jamna tried to grab at his turtle neck to investigate his neck. "Oh come on. Show me! I didn't think you would get that far."  
  
"Back off. It is not what you think," he said fighting off Jamna who seemed to be trying to get him in a headlock.  
  
"Oh, right? Your lady love, that you have been mooning over for the past couple of months, gives you a hickey and you don't tell me! Man. Why didn't you say anything?" Jamna said and hooked his fingers in his shirt.  
  
He could almost feel his shirt tearing.  
  
Jamna then stopped with a subdued 'woah'.  
  
Brennen explained what had happened to him. He was pretty sure that if someone had hit Jamna in the back of his head, his eyes would fall out.  
  
Another 'Woah', was all he said at the end.  
  
"No kidding. One minute I'm catching her in mid fall and the next thing I know is that guy was holding me against the wall. She stopped him... I am just thankful that it isn't the guy that we always see her in the park with."  
  
Jamna blinked a few times. "Soooo.... Do you think she likes you?" He had that stupid smirk appear on his face. There was no keeping him down for long. Shock usually runs off him like water.  
  
"What?" Brennen said and glared at him. He often wondered why he even talked to him at times.  
  
"Dude! She does, doesn't she! Man, you should go for it!" Jamna said and patted him, rather hard on the back.  
  
"I don't think so," Brennen said. "I mean, the guys that she hangs around with are pretty tough."  
  
"She stopped him though, right?" Jamna said with a wink. "Right?"  
  
"Yeah," Brennen wasn't to sure of this.  
  
Jamna raised his eyebrows quickly with that crooked smile of his.  
  
"No!" He quickly responded.  
  
"Man. Come on. She likes you," Jamna said. "Don't let a brute get in the way of -true love-!"  
  
"She keeps calling me young!" Brennen really wanted to stop talking about this. He had to go back to work.  
  
"Oh, like that is a bad thing?" Jamna said and stuck his hands deep in his pockets. He had that look. He wasn't going to give up. He could see that.  
  
"Well, she say's it like she knows me from before or something."  
  
"That's a good thing!"  
  
"How?"  
  
"Oh, come on man. Quit being such a pessimist. She likes you. She liked that stuffed cat right? She's a sucker for you! Do you have her number? You did write it down? You did right? Ah! I can tell by your blushing that you did. Call her man! Set up a date or something," Jamna giggled. Actually giggled. "She probably will feel real guilty about that bruise on your neck."  
  
Brennen shook his head violent. "Will you back off! I'll deal with it in my own way all ready!" He was getting mad at Jamna. It was his fault that he talked him into delivering the purse already!  
  
"Ah, man. What's stopping you?"  
  
He sighed. "She looked so sad when I saw her. I man, she is so beautiful but I know I am the cause of her being sad. I know it is my fault and I don't want that." There he said it. He looked back at Jamna who did the eyebrow thing again.  
  
"Screw off!" he yelled at him. "If all the guys she hangs around with are this strong." He pointed the angry black bruise on his neck, "I don't want to be causing any problems with her." In a lower voice. "I made her faint."  
  
Jamna just did that stupid eyebrow thing again.  
  
Sometimes, it was just hard not to hate him.  
  
................................................  
  
Junior was looking at him with his big green eyes with a look of desperation on his face.  
  
"Does any one else know?" Trunks asked.  
  
"Krillin knows and that is about it," Junior said. "He thought it was great that his daughter was with me."  
  
"What about 18?"  
  
Junior lowered his eyes again. "We haven't told her yet either."  
  
"A whole year!" Trunks said. He still wasn't angry but thought that he should be. "You are going to get it when you have to tell everyone. Soyna will be furious! I know that much, whether you are going with an androids daughter or anyone else. You kept it a secret for so long!"  
  
Junior sighed. "I know. I know. I just kind of snowballed." He was looking at the floor again.  
  
"No kidding," Trunks said. "Unbelievable." He looked at his hands and there still were the papers that he initially came to the office to bring. He set them down on the desk. "When are you planning on telling people?"  
  
Junior sighed and shuffled through the papers. "I guess it should be soon, huh?"  
  
Trunks smirked. "I would say so."  
  
Junior groaned.  
  
..............................  
  
He had never felt so relaxed as he typed away at the keyboard. He understood so much more now. It put a whole new twist on his plans.  
  
The poor guy was drained for now and thankfully was still alive. The machine did take a lot out of a person. He was sleeping now. His moaning had been getting on his nerves awhile ago.  
  
It was rather amazing how much was left out of the public knowledge.  
  
Just amazing.  
  
Dragonballs!  
  
That cleared up a lot of things. A lot! How the dead were wished back to life from many a brutal battle to save this planet. There sure were a lot of threats to the planet! He was even shocked to hear that Vegeta had even been brought back once! It seemed that this Goku, had a lease on life as well.  
  
It filled in a lot of history and now everything made more sense, if not more dangerous for him.  
  
He stumbled across the poor man's anxiety. He had loved the woman that Vegeta now claimed for his. He seemed a little bitter about the whole thing at the same time relieved.  
  
He had even underestimated them all!  
  
And the fact that this Goku fellow who showed up after the tournament was now merged with the dragonballs interested him greatly. This Goku was the new dragon.  
  
The man on the bed, knew very little about Soyna and the current household. He had distanced him self for his own sanity and the fact that he didn't fight anymore. He was after all, rather weak compared to them.  
  
The history was intriguing.  
  
Dragonballs.  
  
Wishes.  
  
He bit his lip to stop a laugh from coming forward.  
  
He had to think of a way to get those wishes.  
  
This Goku was amazingly strong. He could feel that much. He even watched Goku and Vegeta fight once. He had seen the other train, but when these two fought, it was different. It was amazing to see how quick and vicious they were. It made him realize that they had only toyed with him and his father.  
  
They had never been a threat when it came to battle.  
  
His fathers boosters could only match their strength, not the skill.  
  
Dragonballs.  
  
He had a new path to reach his goal now.  
  
But how?  
  
...........................................................  
  
"It'll work out," Gohan said as he patted his brother on the back. Goten looked so forlornly as he came over to check on his two children who were currently playing nicely (which was a nice treat for everyone) on the floor in the living room.  
  
He just grunted. He was concentrating on the kids.  
  
Gohan sighed. He had been at the hospital when she was in her fevered filled sleep. She had pined for Brennen in her sleep, but when she woke, she hardly mentioned him. "She just had to get over him. She never really dealt with the loss in a proper way." Goten wasn't really listening to him. His eyes were almost glazed over.  
  
Gohan patted his brother again. "We'll take care of Flint and Flare for awhile. Videl likes having the babies around to play with."  
  
Goten smiled sadly at his brother, "Thanks. Just for a couple of days. Raymond says that all she needs is to rest for a couple of days and then she should be okay. I don't want her running after the kids."  
  
"Go to her," Gohan said.  
  
Goten nodded and stared for the door.  
  
"You'll be okay," Gohan said. "she does love you. Just give her some time to recover."  
  
Goten just nodded his head and left now.  
  
He was glad that he never had to deal with what he was going through.  
  
..........................................  
  
"WOMAN!"  
  
"YOU GET THE DAMN DOOR! I AM BUSY OVER HERE!" She screamed back at him.  
  
He was not in the mood to answer the door. He grumbled as he opened the door to see a weepy eyed woman standing there.  
  
"Is... Is...," her voice was hitching. "Bulma here?"  
  
"What do you want?" he asked. Hell, he was not known for his sensitivity.  
  
Her eyes grew wider and more frightened at the sight of him.  
  
"Please," her chin was wavering. Oh damn it. She was going to cry. "I n-n-need to talk to Bulma."  
  
That was when he saw that annoying floating cat. Great. That meant that Yamcha was near. The last thing he wanted to deal with him trying to start a conversation with him in that nervous halting manner of his.  
  
Bulma came around the corner and began to ask who it was. The woman and Puar rushed in and began babbling.  
  
He just rolled his eyes and decided that he was going to get away from them. Of course when he caught himself going over to Soyna's he had to stop himself. She couldn't train anymore. His son was always at work. All that was really left, and it made him shutter to think so, was Kakarott. He didn't want to deal with him, but that is where he found himself walking.  
  
When he arrived, he saw him looking kind of glazed eyed as he sat under a tree. He even jumped when he grunted at him.  
  
"What the hell is your problem?"  
  
"Nightmares," he said and rubbed his eyes. "Do you ever get nightmares?"  
  
He just shook his head at Kakarott. "Not that I wish to talk about."  
  
Kakarott nodded, "Me too."  
  
Damn it. Why did Soyna have to get knocked up again! He missed his training partner! He was surrounded by fools!  
  
............................................................... 


	10. Planning for Chaos

Haunt 10  
  
  
  
  
Planning for Chaos  
  
  
  
  
Mom looked drained.... Absolutely drained! It almost scared him to see her like that. He had seen her hurt before and looking like she was down for the count, but she didn't look like that! He didn't even have to heart to blame Goten. He looked just about as bad as she was.  
  
They weren't telling him something. He knew that. He could see it when Goten averted his eyes from him and Legen. They weren't telling him something very important! Very important! Damn it. He didn't want to spend another night over with Vegeta and Oma! He wanted to stay in his own room. He didn't want to leave her looking like that, but before he knew it, he was out the door and back in front of Oma house.   
  
He didn't know the woman that was talking to Oma, but he did remember Puar. They were talking in hushed voices, so that he couldn't hear. They quickly told him to go out and play. Thankfully, Vegeta was no where around to 'encourage' Legen into another match.  
  
Benot slumped in front of the TV. A safe as place as any.  
  
No one asked him how his cheek felt.  
  
He rubbed the bruise as he flicked channels.   
  
Damn it. He wished they would tell him what was going on!  
  
...................  
  
Vegeta frowned at Kakarott.  
  
"What the hell is your problem?" He spat at him. "you aren't even trying!" he usually could not get a blow in but he was very successful today. The only problem was, that the blows did not seem to have any effect on him. He seemed off in his own dream world. He powered down as he glared at him.  
  
"Huh?" He said and rubbed the back of his head. "Just a little tired today," he said and put on a fake smile. He really wished that he could smash that stupid smile of his in! Everyone was going crazy around here lately.  
  
He wanted to scream!  
  
He held it back and stalked off.  
  
Things were so much better before Soyna mixed herself up with that family! But then his son was fool enough to do the same thing! Ba! He really sometimes wished that things did not get so complicated.  
  
..................................  
  
  
He stroked the hair of the sleeping victim. There wasn't more information that he could get out of him. He heard about some rather stupid things that he just shook his head at that held no significance for him.  
  
He needed more current information.  
  
Unfortunately to get that, he had to get someone that would be more noticeable, even with the chaos that is starting to happen between them.  
  
Then there was the other problem.  
  
He needed to get someone that had a mix of Saiyian blood. Saiyian's were notoriously bad for mind control. They had to strong of will. He didn't know how the half and half would do under his machine. He doubted that he would get much from them.  
  
The children though...  
  
His father had made the mistake of going after them much to boldly. It just angered Soyna to the point that she was willing to destroy them all, and nearly succeeded.  
  
There was Pan as an option.  
  
Yet she was quite strong as well. He needed someone, who was not that strong. He didn't dare go after the women. Bulma and ChiChi were not viable targets. Plus, they didn't fight physically and were not there to see what he need to know. The children, on the other hand, always seemed to have their noses where they shouldn't belong and they were the ones that had made the wishes, without telling the adults.  
  
He had three to choose from.  
  
He knew grabbing one of them, would mean that he would have to move real quick. He continued to absently stroke the graying hair of his victim. He didn't know if he was ready for that. He had moved so slow before. He was beginning to feel uncomfortable with the fast pace that was coming.   
  
He had to get the wishes.  
  
He knew the kids were the key to it.  
  
Soyna wasn't able to fight. Goten was a distraught wreck. From the video, it looked like even this Goku was becoming a mess. He didn't understand that, but it was to his advantage. By Friday, Trunks would be in the doghouse...  
  
Friday, then.  
  
His victim moaned.  
  
He was still alive. He knew that he would remember none of this. They never did. Of course, he would never be able to explain where he was for the last two days... but that was not his concern.  
  
He had so much to do now. He had to have perfect Chaos on Friday for it to work.  
  
...................................  
  
Thankfully, she looked so much better after a nights rest. He felt awful. He didn't sleep a wink. He couldn't sleep. He kept thinking of that night that she had whispered HIS name in her sleep. He had brushed it off then, but now...  
  
Did she still dream of him?  
  
She only talked about him that one time. That was when she was telling him how they came to this time from her own. How he had sacrificed himself to get her and her brother into the time capsule so that they could be safe. And she mentioned that betrayal. She did not dwell on it. She seemed hurt to remember it.  
  
Why would she still dream of him after such a betrayal? She had been pregnant and was with another woman! That was not forgivable. Was it?  
  
But then, this Brennen, in this time, didn't do that to her, did he?  
  
Not a comforting thought.  
  
He tried to put on a smile, "I made breakfast. It's nothing fancy. Just some eggs and toast."  
  
She yawned and stretched. He really loved her. How could he get that across to her. The words she spoke before still haunted him. It was no wish that made him feel this way! He knew that it wasn't just the wish! She smiled at him, and it wasn't the cold smile that he received yesterday. Yesterday, she hardly even looked at him.  
  
"I'm starving," she said and slowly stood up. She was moving as if she was bit groggy. Did she do that with their first set of kids? He couldn't remember. Hell, he doubted that she slowed down. He remembered Raymond getting mad at her for being too active, especially when she was sparing with her grandfather.  
  
She put her hand on his shoulder and gave him a small kiss on the cheek. He was stunned. She looked away but stayed close. In a whisper, she said. "I am sorry being so selfish. When I saw him again, the feelings came forward again and confused me. I am sorry for hurting you." She said and walked into the kitchen. "But I warned you, that I would end up hurting you."  
  
He nearly jumped for joy.  
  
She would never see Brennen again. After Gohan nearly choking the guy, he was sure that he wouldn't dare show his face around again. He would be a fool to do so. A true fool. He smiled as he followed after her.  
  
A couple more days. That is all that it would take to get his Soyna back. Things would be back to the bliss they were before. Brennen would be a memory again.  
  
He would be back to where he belonged.  
  
  
.................................  
  
"You knew that we would have to tell them sometime," Marron said as she looked over at a nervous Junior. He was pacing rather furiously in her apartment, the only reason that they were able to keep in secret for so long. He had spent the night and now, was not anxious to go back to work or home. "Trunks wasn't mad."  
  
"Trunks is not my sister," he said and rubbed his hair furiously, causing his damp hair to spike and make him look like Vegeta. Sometimes, that disturbed her, but then, his green eyes were always calm. Today, they were a little upset. "I mean. I made a fool of myself! I kept calling Trunks dad, and stumbling over my words. What will I do when it's my sister staring me down? She can make me say nearly anything she wants me too! You know that! When I was young, I couldn't even think of a lie around her!"  
  
"You have managed to keep this secret from her?" Marron said grabbing his arm to stop his pacing.  
  
"I know, but I never really lied to her. I would always just say I was seeing a friend. She doesn't worry about me as much as she used too, now that she has her own children. She never really pressed the matter," Junior sighed heavily. "I can't tell her now though. Not with this Brennen thing happening. I don't need to upset her further. I mean, I don't want to be the reason that she looses the baby." He flopped down into a chair and rubbed his hands over his face. "When did life get so complicated Marron? "  
  
"Do you love me?" Marron said.  
  
He blinked a few times at her change of subject. "Of course, I do."  
  
"Then you have to tell them. I love you too, you big oaf." She said and sat on the arm of the chair. "But we really should tell my mom and your sister. Those are the two important people to tell. Plus, I don't want to wait until you decide to propose for them to know. I want the tension gone before the wedding. I don't want to have your sister and my mom fighting while we say our vows."  
  
His face flushed. It always did with talk of weddings. They talked of it, but he did not seem willing to buy the ring. She knew it was because of the family tensions, so did not push him. He loved her and that is all that mattered, right now.  
  
He sighed heavily and tried to hide the redness on his face. "I guess, your right." He leaned into her. "Should we tell them together or apart?"  
  
"Apart would probably be the best. Let them cool down a bit before they decide how mad they are." Marron said and smoothed his hair. "We will deal with this later, Mr. Vice President. You are going to be late for work, if you don't hurry. Plus, you will have to come up with a reason for why you weren't home last night."  
  
His eyes grew wide and he began to dash around. She smiled. He could be so absent minded sometimes. It was just so cute.  
  
.................................  
  
  
He burned the piece of paper with her phone number and address. But the numbers were burning into his head. He did not want to remember them!  
  
Brennen banged his head against his desk.  
  
"Hey."  
  
He looked up to see Mart. Jamna wasn't around yet, but he would soon to terrorize him and remind him of how beautiful she was.... Damn him.  
  
"You look horrid."  
  
"Thanks." He muttered and looked at his monitor. He had 23 e-mails. Great. How much did he do wrong yesterday?  
  
"You listened to the dude, didn't you," Mart said, mocking Jamna manner of speaking.  
  
He solemnly shook his head. "I know. It was stupid. I know. I won't happen again." Yesterday, he went and bought some black turtlenecks to hide the bruise on his neck. "I learned my lesson."  
  
"I warned you about her. She is just trouble for you. She obviously isn't available," Mart said as he took a sip of the coffee in his hand. "Oh, just came to warn you. Graphic Design needs those specs. They are on a rampage."  
  
He rolled his eyes and began to work as Mart walked away. He wasn't able to concentrate very well. He kept thinking of her and knowing that she was unattainable, didn't make him not want to see her again.  
  
That made him feel like a creep.  
  
She accepted the gift though. She fainted, but she accepted the gift.  
  
He sighed. He really had to get it out of his head. He had to get this done. He had to work... he had to stop thinking about her. He had to get on with his life.... If only he could stop thinking about her.  
  
........................  
  
  
Goku was grateful that he didn't have a dream. He was tired though. He had tossed and turned quite a bit. He kept thinking back to the prior dreams. The warrior gaurding the meeker one. Hell, he didn't know that Soyna had a meek side. He knew that she had a softer side, but that was usually reserved for her children.  
  
ChiChi informed him that she was in a better mood today. She had gone over and already come back. She had asked him to come, but he thought it was best if he stayed away.  
  
He couldn't help anyway.  
  
The dragon itched on his body, it was so warm. He really wished that he knew what that meant.  
  
The dragon never told him anything like this would happen with the merger. Of course they never really talked about a lot of the consequences of the merger.  
  
He decided that he needed to talk to someone. The only person that really knew anything about the dragonballs was Dende. He had to go talk to him. He hoped that he could help him understand what was going on.  
  
.............  
  
  
He was late again.  
  
He would most likely have some lame excuse! With all that was going on around here, he had to be tied up with work.  
  
Pan was angry. Why was he late this time? Paperwork? A last minute phone call? She was beginning to doubt him. He never liked work that much. Suddenly it was his life. They didn't even have their lunches anymore.  
  
She wanted to cry, but knew that would do no good. She wanted to hit him, but knew that she couldn't hurt him.  
  
She didn't know what to do.  
  
Plus that phone call from a travel agency confirming a change in schedule, upset her a lot. He didn't mention any trip. She was almost too scared to bring it up.  
  
The door opened and Trunks came in with a wide smile on his face. "Hi Panny!" he said and gave her a big hug and a kiss. "Missed you."  
  
"Did you?" she said sharply.  
  
His smile disappeared and was replaced by a look of confusion. Pan was thankful that crystal was playing with Violet right now. She did not need to see her like this. He rubbed his hair and opened his mouth as if he was to speak, but nothing came out.  
  
She shook her head. Maybe she just needed to get out more. "Supper is ready. I have to go pick up Crystal." She said and stormed by him. He still looked stunned as she closed the door behind him.  
  
............................. 


	11. Dende

I know... I know... It took me forever to post this story... I am really really sorry... but I do have a good reason... We just sold the condo that we are living in and are getting ready to move into a house and with a sick kid in the whole mess, whew.... I hope to finish this tale before I move....I hope...  
  
Anyway, do read and enjoy the next chapter... I am working on 12 right now and it should be up within a week... hopefully nothing else happens around here.  
  
Soyna  
  
  
  
  
It Never Ends  
Haunting the Present  
  
Part 11  
  
Dende.  
  
  
  
Goku didn't remember him looking so old. He had always looked so young before, but then, it has been a long time. He was starting to look like old Kami. That thought was rather scary.  
  
He was greeted warmly and took the invitation of tea gratefully.  
  
"What brings you up here?" Dende asked.  
  
Goku started slow but began to explain that he thought there was something wrong with the dragon.  
  
Dende just stared at him with wide eyes.  
  
He explained the odd dreams with as little detail as possible. He explained how the dragon itched or felt warm at times. "Has this merger ever been done before?" he asked.  
  
Dende shook his head. "Well, it was never needed before. No evil wishes were ever made on dragonballs before they arrived on earth. They never needed so much protection," he sighed heavily. "I cannot image what could be wrong."  
  
"Could you ask the elders on the new planet Namek?" Goku said. He didn't like the sound of desperation in his own voice.  
  
"I will. I will. I wish I could help you more."  
  
Goku rubbed his stomach. That was where the dragon's head was today. He knew the marks moved but they were slow movements before. Now, it seemed to be in a completely different position than before every time he woke up.  
  
"What about the dragon moving?" he asked. "Is that normal?"  
  
Dende just shook his head. "I do not know. I will ask for you, but I have to wait until later in the day, so that I can get a clear line to reach them."  
  
Goku sighed heavily.  
  
"I am sorry that I cannot help you right now. Why don't you stay and rest here?" Dende offered. "maybe some relaxation will help you."  
  
Goku nodded. "Maybe."  
  
........................................  
  
Vegeta stayed back and watched as Bulma and that strange blond woman, who's name turned out to be Vala, were both yelling and weeping over Yamcha who looked like he was recovering from one hell of a hangover.  
  
He said that he didn't remember what happened but the two women and Puar were still harping on him. They just wouldn't stop. Yamcha looked as if he wished he could melt into the floor.  
  
He didn't smell like booze though.  
  
Maybe that is what kept him around. He wasn't sure why he even cared. Bulma had forced him to go searching for him and he found the stupid human blinking like a stunned idiot in a alley behind a bar. He looked as if he didn't know how he got there.  
  
Most likely didn't.  
  
He just assumed that he had been drunk.  
  
But he did not smell of booze. He had plenty of bruises on his arms and there was a pretty big on one side of his head. The two woman were berating him about fighting, when he didn't train anymore.  
  
But even with the weakling human not training, he still was not a weakling by human standards. He was either drunk out of his tree or he was sneaked up on. He doubted both of those now.  
  
He did not have any sympathy for him though. He got himself into a situation that should not have happened.  
  
"I really don't remember," Yamcha whined. "I mean, I was just going to the store to pick up stuff for supper. I remember a sharp sound and then, I remember the alley. I am not lying here! I didn't go out drinking and my head really really hurts right now, so if you will all be quiet and let me rest!" He said as he buried his head in his hands.  
  
He was shaking.  
  
Vegeta frowned. Both women were silent and the woman that had attached herself to the weakling human sat beside him and comforted him now.  
  
He kept rubbing that bruise on the side of his head.  
  
Something about that was very familiar, but it had been so long...  
  
Yamcha started to cry.  
  
He shook his head and left the room. He couldn't stand to see people cry. Especially grown men.  
  
.......................................  
  
Pan felt awful. She wanted to cry.  
  
She had found hotel and plane receipts in his pockets. All stuff for this weekend. He was planning something with someone else.  
  
Hotels!  
  
Trips to tropical resorts!  
  
Who was he going with?  
  
He had a room booked. A fancy suite with a fancy name.  
  
She wanted to rip up the offending pieces of paper. It would have been so easy to do so, but then she wouldn't have any evidence.  
  
She found herself wanting to go talk to Soyna and she did find herself going into their house. She knew that she shouldn't be bothering her with this, not with all that she was going through, but... she wanted to talk to her.  
  
She was alone, curled up on the couch. She had a rather distance look to her and almost left her alone. Why should she bother her with her problems? That was until Soyna looked up at her.  
  
"Hey," Pan said, still holding the pieces of paper. "How are you doing?" she said and sat beside her.  
  
She shrugged. "Could be better," she said, but she certainly didn't look as upset as Trunks said that she was. She must be getting better. "You look like crap. What's wrong?"  
  
She blinked. Well, Soyna was never one for beating around the bush, was she? She sighed and explained her feelings of anxiety and her fear that Trunks was planning a trip with another woman.  
  
She handed Soyna the sheets of paper with the offending words and information. She frowned at them.  
  
"I want to yell at him and strangle him and ..." Pan sighed. "I am just so confused. After all we have been though together as he goes and does this to me."  
  
"I don't know if you should be wary," She said in a whisper. "I never thought of the Brennen in this time and he shows up on my door. He is much different age that he was in my time that he should be, so I never expected to see him again. Maybe, you should worry about the appearance of my mother."  
  
Pan was stunned.  
  
She never even thought of that!  
  
How could she compete against that! She would be pushed aside, as she pushed Goten aside. She knew that Soyna didn't mean too, but she couldn't help it. Was this happening with Trunks too?  
  
She held the evidence.  
  
She sighed even more heavily. Talking with Soyna was supposed to make her feel better, not worse.  
  
...........................................  
  
"Mom?" Marron said nervously as she looked at her sharp eyed mother. Dad was busy elsewhere. Bulma called and they were talking about Yamcha for some reason.  
  
"Yes?" she said.  
  
"I have something to tell you."  
  
"Well? Out with it." She said.  
  
"I think you should sit down," Marron said. She didn't think she could be so nervous.  
  
Her mother turned and put her hands on her hips. "What? Are you pregnant or something? I know you have been sneaking around with some guy? Are you ashamed of your family or something? I am assuming that is what you are finally going to tell me." Marron was stunned. Well, she wasn't pregnant, but how did mom know that she was sneaking, or rather, she was seeing some guy? At least she didn't know who it was.  
  
"I'm not pregnant," She said.  
  
"Well, that is a relief! I would hate to have a shot gun wedding like Pan and Trunks were forced too." 18 said and looked sharply at her daughter. "So, who are you seeing?"  
  
"He is a really nice guy," Marron said. "He has a really good job and we won't ever have to worry about money."  
  
"Yeah, Yeah, Yeah," She waved her arms, "Get on with it. When will I met this man that you are with?"  
  
"Oh, you already know him," Marron said and looked at the floor. This was a lot harder than she thought it was going to be. She did kind of wish that Junior was here so that she could hid behind him. Mom was a very intimidating person at times.  
  
"Oh?" She said. She tilted her head back and tapped her chin. "I already know him, hey. Who could it be?"  
  
"It's Junior mom," Marron said. "We have been going out for awhile now and we love each other. Okay!"  
  
Marron bit her lip in anticipation of her mother blowing up at her. She did look rather stunned. "Junior," her voice was low and it looked like she was thinking about something else. "Junior... you mean, Vegeta Junior!" Her eyes blinked wide. "Soyna allowed this!"  
  
"Wellll, you see, she doesn't know yet," Marron said.  
  
18 shook her head.  
  
"We are going to tell her soon," Marron said.  
  
Mom was still shaking her head as she walked away. "It's your hide."  
  
Marron sighed heavily. That went better than she thought it was going to go. Still not as good as she hoped but not to bad. She didn't get told not to see him again. That was the good thing. She was after all a woman now. She wasn't a kid and could make her own decisions now. But you always look to your parents.  
  
..............................  
  
Dende looked over to Goku. He did look different. He needed time to examine him. He knew that there was something wrong with the dragon, he knew that. He had felt it for some time. He didn't know what to do about it though.  
  
He knew that Goku was leaving out much of his dreams as well.  
  
What was he to tell Goku?  
  
He did something that he promised himself that he would never do. He intruded into Goku's thoughts.  
  
He found that the dragons thoughts were mixed in well with Goku's and they were hard to separate. That was not good. He had wondered why he had left and the absence of him memories when he returned. That was a sign that something was wrong.   
  
He wasn't sure how he was going to tell Goku that the fusion had doomed both him and the dragon.  
  
The dragon moving and getting warms were signs that the dragon was trying to break free. The dragon no longer wanted to be with Goku.  
  
Dende sighed. He didn't know if they could survive without each other. They had been fused for so long, if they separated, it could be deadly.  
  
...........................  
  
Pan chewed on her lip with worry. Crystal was playing in the sandbox and was oblivious to her mother worry.  
  
Could he be with another woman? And could that other woman be Soyna and Junior's mother? She had never even thought that possibility could happen, but with the appearance of Brennen... it seemed that anything was possible.  
  
He came home in a good mood and had talked about all that he did in the office that day. She couldn't tell if he was lying. She thought she was good at detecting lies.  
  
She had put the offending evidence back where she found it.  
  
She was hoping that she was just being hysterical. Just overreacting. She had to be.  
  
What if...??  
  
She didn't want to play that game!  
  
She didn't want to doubt her love for Trunks!  
  
Because she didn't!  
  
She didn't!  
  
...............  
  
  
Trunks didn't know why she was so worried. He could see it written all over her face as quick as the anger came, the sorrow came.  
  
He was really thinking of moving up the honeymoon to get her out of this funk.  
  
It was driving him nuts! He played with Crystal a bit, thinking that she must just be stressed from being at home all day.... Maybe she needed to get out and get a job so that she wasn't so frantic.  
  
He sighed.  
  
They would talk about it after their honeymoon. Everything would be okay after that.  
  
...........................  
  
"Eenny, meanie, miney, mo!"  
  
That wasn't helping.  
  
Who was he to pick?  
  
Each one had their own dangers and pluses.  
  
But he knew that he had to pick soon. He had to choose which of those children would be the best to pick off, gleen the information off of him, and then set the plan into motion. He hoped that the information would tell him what he expected.  
  
He had so much at stake.  
  
So much.  
  
Which boy would guarantee the wishes?  
  
None would, but then, he only needed the boy for a short while... Such an important decision!  
  
"Fry... Legen... Benot," he muttered. He repeated the names over and over again. "Which one of you brats will serve my purpose?" He tapped a pen against his teeth. He hoped that it wouldn't matter. But, could he take that chance? 


	12. Choices

Haunting the present.  
  
Part 12  
  
Choices  
  
  
Goku frowned as he walked into his house. Dende had told him nothing and he had another one of those damn disturbing dreams while he was up there. It wouldn't be so bad if he would stop thinking about Soyna that way.  
  
He had no idea why he was infatuated with her in his dreams! He never thought of her that way before.  
  
Dende knew something. He was sure of it, but he wasn't telling him. Of course, that meant that it was bad news and he was not to sure if he wanted to know what was wrong.  
  
He sighed and tried to put on a happy face when he went home. He didn't want anyone else to worry. When he did not know what to make of it anyway.  
  
......................................  
  
Goten blinked at Junior.  
  
"So, should I tell her, or should I wait," Junior said. He was looking at him with such worry. "I don't want to set her off and I don't know what will do that anymore. I mean, when Trunks found out, I think I kinda have to tell everyone now... I... Oh..." he rubbed his hair furiously and then slammed his head into the table. "Why did I have to fall for her?"  
  
First Goten had to get over the shock that Goten was hiding a girlfriend from them and then the second layer of the shock, he had been hiding the fact that his girlfriend is Marron.  
  
He really wasn't to sure how Soyna would react. She had not said one way or the other how she felt about the androids but she never socialized with them either. But then with everything else that was going on... he sighed. "I don't know what you should do, Junior."  
  
Junior looked crushed. "I know that I shouldn't have kept it a secret. I know that. Now, it has snowballed into something that I can't control."  
  
Goten patted Junior on the shoulder. "As long as you two are happy, she will be happy." He hoped. Her moods were strange lately, and he wasn't to sure if he knew her anymore.  
  
"Do you think so?" he said and looked up at him with hope in his eyes.  
  
"Yeah. This is just a bump. Maybe, knowing that you are happy with a girl, will make her happy. I mean, she was worried that you were spending much to much time with this friend that you kept visiting."  
  
Junior eyes grew wide.  
  
"She never thought you were sneaking out to meet a girl. She may actually be relieved!" Goten said. That was true. She would shake her head and mutter that she wasn't to sure about her brother anymore.  
  
Junior face grew crimson and he looked at his hands.  
  
Goten would have laughed too, if he wasn't worried about Soyna. She had insisted on going for a walk to pick up Flint and Flare. He protested but he did not push it far. She gave him such a cold look when she had been warming up to him again.  
  
"It will take her mind of Brennen anyway," Goten said, "And that has to be a good thing."  
  
Junior nodded but still looked nervous.  
  
.............................................  
  
Vegeta tucked Flare under his arm and walked slowly beside Soyna who carried Flint with a little bit more dignity.  
  
He was glad to see that she was much better. She was so much better now. There was even color on her pale cheeks and her eyes were not as dark as before.  
  
"Flare will bite you if you continue to hold her like that and she does have some of her teeth," Soyna said as they slowly walked from the Son household.  
  
He just grunted. "I am glad to hear that you are in a better mood." He was also glad to see that she wasn't going to hide in the house the whole time. Bulma had already told him that she can not fight and that she has to rest. He understood that, but he didn't want to see her become a slug.  
  
"The shock of everything is starting to wear off a little bit," she said. "It was hard to... to see him again." He could see her eyes go a little foggy. She shook her head and stopped walking. She adjusted the child on her hip.  
  
"You couldn't possibly have been thinking of going back to that human!" he spoke before he thought. She looked at him with an amused smile on her face and a mischievous little grin that he knew that she inherited from him.  
  
"Oh, Vegeta," she said. "Do you approve of my relationship with Goten now?"  
  
He glared at her and was ignoring the squirming kid that was under one of his arms. "It is better than that human!" he said simply.  
  
"And what would you have done if Goten and I never got together and now, I had a chance for another life with my first husband?" she said, moving some hair out of her face. "Would you have stopped me?"  
  
He sneered at her. "Of course I would have!" He knew that he was being rougher than he should. "Why would you want to go with what you already know? You know that he will hurt you in the end, so why would you put yourself through all that again?"  
  
"That was then. That situation would not present itself again in this time. Krad is gone and so is his seductress." She said.  
  
He humphed, "Another would present itself," he said sharply. "Why risk the pain of that happening again? He betrayed you. He does not deserve a second chance."  
  
She was silent for a moment. "This Brennen is not the same," her voice was a whisper. "It wouldn't happen again."  
  
"BA!" he snapped. "They do it once! They will do it again!" He remembered how Yamcha used to treat Bulma, and even though he hated the feeling, it did get him mad.  
  
She glared at him now. "Oh! So that is how it works!" She shook her head. "How many times have YOU betrayed the Z fighters? You were always given another chance! Why should I not give him another? He only betrayed me, not his own heart!"   
  
"What are you insinuating!" Vegeta snapped.  
  
"You are not one to talk!" She said and swayed slightly. It almost looked as if she was going to fall, but before he could react, she recovered. "Now, don't make my blood boil! I do NOT want to faint again. Give me my child and I would like to go home."  
  
"I can not help what I once was!" Vegeta said. He still held the squirming Flare in his arms. Flint was staring at him with his coal black eyes with almost a threat in them. If he was older, maybe, Vegeta would have been a little worried.   
  
"Neither can I!" she snapped right back.  
  
She is so stubborn that he wanted to slap her. Another thing that she inherited from him and Bulma. She got the lion's share of that! He was glad that it skipped his own children. "Well then," he said smoothing out his voice, with great effort. "We should get you home then so that your blood doesn't get any hotter."  
  
She sniffed loudly and started to walk again.  
  
"You can be so stubborn," he snarled as they walked.  
  
"I wonder where I get that from," she muttered back. There was amusement in her eyes now though. Boy, he didn't remember her mood swings being this bad with the last batch of kids.  
  
Suddenly, there was a sharp pain in his arm. He looked down to see Flare had imbedded her three teeth into his arm. He pulled her away and moved her to the other arm, scowling and cursing at her  
  
"I warned you about her teeth," she said. "You should really watch your language unless you want those same curses repeated back at you."  
  
"I hope that your next batch are better behaved," he said and glared at the little version of Soyna. She was smiling at him now. She was going to be such a little trouble maker.  
  
"I am only having one. At least that is what Raymond told me. I do not think I could handle yet another set of twins." She said. "You will be glad to hear that it is a boy too."  
  
Vegeta smirked. He was glad to hear that it was a boy. There were enough girls around. Too many. He was sure that Flare would be a fighter, but there was always the chance that she would turn out to be to much like a girl, like his daughter.  
  
.......................  
  
The guy sure looked familiar. He couldn't help but keep looking at the three guys sitting taking a break from a ball game by the fountain in the park.  
  
He just didn't know where he had seen him before and it was eating away at the back of his head.  
  
"Earth to Benot!" his annoying brothers voice snapped him out of his daze. "Is anyone home?" He glared at him. Why did mom let his hair grow so long, with the natural blond that he is, it almost looked like he could be a super saiyian and that really bothered him. His hair was flat and lifeless like his grandfathers. Everyone else's flew everywhere! Why couldn't he have that trait at least? Why did he have to look so human?  
  
"What?" he snapped at Legen.  
  
"We were asking YOU if YOU wanted to GO to the mountains and chase some dinosaurs, but YOU are acting like you are in another dimension!" Legen said smugly. Ever since that fight, he has been acting so cocky! He didn't even seem to notice all the weird stuff going on! He was a blind man!  
  
"No," he said simply. "We should go home. Mom is probably worried about us," he said and found himself looking at the other guy again. Why was he looking at the guy?  
  
"Mom is fine and you know it. She is stronger than anyone else." Legen said. "Let's go have some fun."  
  
He never noticed! He is so blind. He didn't see the adults mooning and looking all worried. He never even noticed how mom was being more silent than usual and he didn't notice that Flint and Flare had spent the night with Gohan! The adults still were not telling them something and he wanted to know what it was more than going to chase some stupid dinosaurs.  
  
"I think we should go home," he said and found his eye looking at that man again. He was positive that he knew him from someplace. "I don't want to be to far away from mom."  
  
Legen shook his head. "You don't need to worry about mom! Geez! That is Goten's problem now. Quit trying to act like a grown up."  
  
Fry stood there blinking. He knew better than to interrupt when the two started to argue and he knew that Legen had just started one hell of a fight.  
  
"Goten!" Benot snorted. "He is the problem!" He wanted to slap his brother across the face but clenched his fist tightly at his sides instead. "Wake up! Can't you see that they are fighting with each other! If you hadn't have made that stupid wish..."  
  
"At least I got something out of my wish!" Legen countered. "Not a useless stupid silver ball that you hid in your closet."  
  
He had to bring up that stupid ball, didn't he.  
  
"Goten did something! I am so sure of it and the wish will be dissolved and then it will be open for..." Benot stopped talking and he looked over the that man again. How could he not see it before?  
  
Everything was going to be okay. He smiled brightly and just about laughed.  
  
Legen and Fry looked at Benot with confused look on their faces.  
  
"... daddy," Benot said with pure happiness in his voice. He stared at the man who was sulking over a sandwich with two others that he didn't know about.  
  
Legen and Fry looked even more confused.  
  
He was sure of it. That was his REAL father. Dad. A true father, not the one that Goten tried to fill in.  
  
He just stared for a bit with a goofy grin on his face. He held his ground. Controlling the urge to run up to him and hug him. As much as he wanted to do that, this guy didn't know that he was his father.  
  
"Yo!" Legen said. "What the hell are you talking about?" Legen looked over in the direction that his brother was staring. He couldn't see what was so important. Just a bunch of people. "Have you totally spaced out on me? Did I hit you harder than I thought?"  
  
Benot shook his head angrily. "That was a lucky shot!"  
  
"Guys..." Fry said looking at them nervously. He did not want to see them go to blows again. That would not be good.  
  
"Look!" Benot said, twirling his brother around violently. "Our REAL dad is over there, eating lunch. Our REALLY REALLY REAL dad! I would recognize him anywhere. If we can get mom, back together with him..." Benot grinned wildly. "Everything will be all better!"  
  
Legen was stunned.  
  
Fry bit his lip, "But, what about Uncle Goten?"  
  
"I like having Goten as my father," Legen said. "Plus, mom said that dad did something bad to her once and that she was not sure if she could ever forgive him, sooo, it is better for her to stay with Goten. He is a good dad."  
  
Benot was instantly furious. "He is our REAL father! Don't you want to get to know him?"  
  
Legen shook his head. "He is not our REAL father! Our REAL father is dead! Don't you understand this time travel stuff!"  
  
Benot snorted. "I don't CARE!" he screamed in his brothers face. People started to look at them. "Anything and anyone would be better than the WIMP!" Benot almost gave a heartbroken look over to the man that could be his father.  
  
Fry looked nervously around. "Guys... Maybe you should take his elsewhere. We don't want to start a fight now, do we."  
  
"NO!" Both yelled at Fry.  
  
Fry back off a bit.  
  
"Goten is not good for mom! Have you looked at her lately? She is not well and it is all his fault. Dad would never do that to mom." Benot said.  
  
"Goten has done nothing but stand by her side by everything! Goten is not the problem! You are the problem!" Legen said poking his brother in the chest. "I like him as my father and there is nothing that will change it. I made a wish and I am not changing it!"  
  
"GUYS!" Fry yelled. They both looked at him. He then spoke in a whisper. "Would you two power down before we get into trouble? I mean, everyone is looking at us."  
  
Benot took a deep breath. He didn't even realize that he powered up. Legen took a little bit longer to do so.  
  
"That," Legen said in an angry voice as he pointed to the man that could have been their father. "Is the past and there is no point looking back."  
  
Benot shook his head and started to walk towards the man. His father.  
  
"What are you doing?" Fry said.  
  
"I am going to get to know my father!" He yelled back.  
  
......................................  
  
"Well," he whispered to himself as he watched the scene. It was like, everything wanted to go his way. He didn't have to do near as much manipulation as he thought he was going to do. He couldn't help but stare and the boys fighting and with his little amplifier in his ear he could hear exactly what they were saying.  
  
That Benot sure was a spit fire.  
  
The choice wasn't that hard after all. 


	13. Past Coming

Haunting the Present  
Part 13  
  
  
PAST COMING  
  
  
Dende looked down at the earth.  
  
He was worried about Goku and Shelong. Why was the connection going haywire? It was the best interest for everyone for the fusion to remain. Why did Shelong want to break it?  
  
He sighed deeply. There was nothing he could really do about it either. It had never been done before and this was yet another anomaly that the few remaining Saiyians have created in the universe.  
  
They have such a strong will to survive. Such a strong will that overshadowed everything else at times.  
  
He sighed again.  
  
Something was going to have to break and break soon. The tension level could not remain as such.  
  
He just hoped that no one was going to die this time.  
  
.......  
  
He was feeling a little better today. He had come to grips with the fact that Soyna could never be his. She was in a different world than his. He should have known that from the beginning. He couldn't blame himself from being turned by a pretty fact, because she was rather beautiful.  
  
Mart and Jamna were helping a bit. Mart was being the rational one and Jamna had even toned down his normal exuberant talking style to make him feel better.  
  
He was starting to feel better.  
  
There were other fish in the sea.  
  
Open all the doors before you make a decision.  
  
She was not his type.  
  
There was other saying and cliches that he had listened to over their break in their ball game.  
  
They were just not meant to be.  
  
"Dad!" some kid yelled. A little purple mop top that had two other boys trying to pull him back and yelling just as loudly for him to stop. Those three have been a great sort of amusement today. He thought that they were a little young to be out this late at night, but they weren't his kids, so why should he care?  
  
"Want another game?" Mart said balancing the basketball on his finger, "Before we hit the showers?"  
  
Jamna jumped up. "Ready to go."  
  
He nodded. He didn't think about much when was playing ball.  
  
  
....................................  
  
  
He felt so... so small. It was the first time that he did this. He ran his hands across his chest and belly. He was not used to the feel of it but it was welcome at the same time.  
  
Control.  
  
Something he had not had since his creation.  
  
Not that he had minded his existence before. The joining and the wandering were fun. He had enjoyed that a lot, even though he was at the will of his host. He had even enjoyed the first while living with the family that had used him so many times in the past for good and bad reasons. They had even tried to protect him.  
  
He started to walk, slowly at first. He had never controlled the body before and he didn't want to stumble. He had his first feeling of doubt about a year ago, but now they were full force in his mind. At first, he couldn't figure out what it was about. He thought it was just restlessness for staying still for so long. That was only part of it.  
  
He wanted his own self.  
  
He wanted to explore and learn on his own. He did not want any of his old ties.  
  
It took him awhile to figure out how to do it, but he figured out a way. But it was a long shot. A true long shot for it was a lot to ask.  
  
He walked a little quicker now, more aware of how the limbs worked.  
  
There she was. He stopped and just about stumbled over his hosts feet. He could feel his face smiling.  
  
Soyna.  
  
She was sitting staring at the sky and gently swinging on the porch swing that he remembered his host installing for her. She looked deep in thought.  
  
He took a deep breath, knowing all to well that he had spent much too much time among the humans but at the same time feeling his whole body twitch with anticipation.   
  
"Hi," he said and sat next to her. She looked up briefly and then continued to look into the sky. "Aren't you supposed to be resting?"  
  
"I don't need another babysitter," she said in a low voice. So independent! Even in her fragile condition! "I am waiting for Benot and Legen to get home. They are most likely chasing Dinosaurs in the mountains again, even after I told them not too."  
  
"I am sure they are fine," he said.  
  
She gave him an odd look "Are you okay, Goku?"  
  
He couldn't help but jump. He was not used to this feeling. It was nervousness. He had never been nervous in his life before. "Fine," he quickly said. "Just fine."  
  
She gave him and even odder look. "Goten sent you, didn't he?" she said and pointed and accusing finger into his chest. He felt the strength in it as it poked him. What a woman! She had to agree to this.  
  
"No. No, he didn't!" he quickly said. How was he going to ask her? She thought he was Goku! Well, that is what he wanted after all, wasn't it?  
  
"Well!" she said sharply. "You can go back home now. I do NOT need to have a babysitter. I'm three steps away from my front door. I am NOT dying! I am just having a kid! Geez!" She had her hands on her hips and was glaring at him. Boy, he thought he was nervous before. Her gaze would have stopped him in his true form! Such fire! If only he could harness that!  
  
"That's not why I'm here," he said, trying to make his voice even and certain. He was getting weak being in this form. He had to get out of it!  
  
"Yeah. Right," she snorted and still stared. Her Saiyian tail was twitching behind her and poofed up. She was mad at him. She wasn't supposed to get upset. Not with the child in her! She had stay calm! He was not good at social skills! He should have been more direct from the beginning! Why did he think that he could air in this form? He should not have tried to masquerade as Goku. He was not good at being a mere mortal.  
  
"Really. I was just..." He sighed deeply and forced himself to look away from her intense gaze. "I need to ask you something."  
  
"What?" she said in a sharp tone.  
  
Direct is best. Right?  
  
........................  
  
He was late again! AGAIN!  
  
She was certain that he was definitely sneaking around now! He had to be! Why else would he be saying that he is spending so much time at work.  
  
She was glad that Crystal was still at her mothers. She was furious and she needed to take out her aggressions on something and training like she used to helped her get her aggression out before Trunks would get home and she would pummel him with the nearest frying pan!  
  
How dare he after all that he promised her and said that no one else ever meant as much as she...  
  
But how could she compete with a woman that his OTHER self had been with and loved... Soyna had to bring that up. How could she not think of that possibility?  
  
She wanted to hit something and the bots, just did not cut it. They just shattered at her punch. Crumpled into dust... she wanted to hit something that would moan and hurt.  
  
How dare he cheat on her. How dare he!  
  
She crushed another bot with her hands and let it crumble to the floor. She wished she had the strength to hurt Trunks like she was hurt. She threw a blast across the room. She remembered all to vividly how he had become so jealous when he thought she was interested in Junior. That was the big fight that they had together before... well, before they got together.  
  
Well, she chuckled to herself, she would have to find a way.  
  
................................  
  
  
"DAD!"  
  
Brennen stumbled and feel as the purple hared kid tackled him with amazing force. "I knew it was you! Daddy!" Then he was hugged fiercely by the kid.  
  
He lay on the paved court. Stunned.  
  
Daddy? He had no kids! This kid looked like he was almost eight years old. He would have to have been twelve... it was just impossible.  
  
"Woah, little dude," Jamna said as he pulled down his sunglasses. "You have the wrong man, man."  
  
Mart just looked stunned.  
  
"Benot!" both the little kids said and the one with blond hair tried to pull him off of him.  
  
Jamna spoke again. "Hey, the blond kid looks a lot like you dude! He could be your kid." He said. Not to helpful.  
  
The kid with the purple hair smiled brightly at him. "you can get rid of the wimp for me right! You can make everything all better. You have to come home and see mom. Mom will be so happy to see you again. It will get her out of this dip that she is in. Okay dad. Are you going to come dad?"  
  
"HE IS NOT OUR DAD!" the blond hair kid yelled. The other boy looked frightened and chewed his knuckle as he watched.  
  
"That wimp is not our father! He is more our father than he is!" the purple hared kid said still sitting on his chest with his hands place firmly on his shoulders. "Right dad. You'll fix everything." Desperation was replaced by hope in his voice.  
  
"What mess have you gotten yourself into?" Mart said as he still stared blankly at him.  
  
He shook his head and stood. He brushed the kid off only to have him attach himself to his leg. "Look kid. I don't even have a girlfriend. How can I have kids? You have the wrong guy."  
  
"Nu-uh!" he said and shook his head violently. "You have to come home. You have to straighten everything out."  
  
He rolled his eyes and looked to his friends for help. Jamna kept his mouth shut for once.  
  
"Come on Benot," the blond kid said. "He doesn't know us. He is not our REAL dad. Come on. Let's go home." He was trying to sound gentle. The kid that was attached to his leg - Benot - eyes started to well up and he looked up with big blue tear filled eyes.  
  
"Please. Please come." He was going to cry. "You'll make mom feel so much better. Please. Please."  
  
.......................  
  
Junior was nervous but figured that it was the best time. The whole house was quiet. Goten was sleeping on the couch with Flint and Flare in his arms. Quite a cute scene. He knew that his sister was out on the porch waiting for her other two children to come back.  
  
She was calm. Or at least, he hoped that she was.  
  
This would be the best time to tell her about Marron.  
  
Of course, he was not expecting to see Goku out there. He did not quite understand what he was seeing. Goku had her gripped by one arm, and it looked rather tightly. She looked like she was pulling away. He almost thought that she saw a glint of fear in her eyes but he was quite sure that was just his imagination. His sister was not afraid of anything.  
  
Goku quickly let go of her arm as he closed the door behind him. Soyna stumbled a few steps back and took a deep breath.  
  
"'Geta," she said quickly, slipping into calling him that was a little bit surprising. She hadn't called him that in years it seemed. "What are you doing out here?" She stood beside him and then gave him a stern look. "Goten didn't send you, did he?"  
  
"No. No," he said. "I just wanted to talk to you about something." He said.  
  
"Well, I guess I should get going," Goku said. His words slow and he looked rather confused.  
  
"Yes, you should," Soyna said in a harsh tone. He doubted that she had ever been cold to Goku before. He always thought that Soyna rather liked him and saw him as a father figure. Maybe the stress of everything was too much on her after all.  
  
Maybe, he shouldn't tell her that he was in love with an androids daughter.  
  
Goku rubbed his head and started to walk back to his own house. Why was he looking so confused?  
  
They both watched him go and then she sat back down with a sigh.  
  
"What was that about?" he asked as he sat next to her.  
  
She shook her head and ran her hands through her rather tame looking hair. "I am not to sure," she said with a heavy sigh. "I doesn't matter right now. You had something you wanted to tell me?" her eyes bored right into him as if he were ten years old again. He knew very well that if he would not get away with not telling her.  
  
"Well," he said nervously and tried really hard to keep his hands still in his lap and looking right at her. If he didn't, she would pry even harder. "It's about this girl..."  
  
"A girl?" she said with a smirk on her lips.  
  
He really wished that he could have just got Goten to tell her. He was not used to his sister like this anymore. Ever since her marriage, he was given a freedom that he had not had in the past. But she could always put him back down in his place. Those eyes of her and that simple stern tone. She didn't need to yell to get him feeling guilty about something so that he would confess. She had only ever yelled at Dad those times. In those times... he sighed. He really didn't want to go down memory lane. It still hurt sometimes.  
  
"Well," she said.  
  
He realized that he had paused to long. "I have been seeing her for awhile now and I was kind of scared to tell anyone about it."  
  
"How long?"  
  
"A while," he said and found himself looking at his lap and looking at her in brief glances. Damn it. He was not ten years old anymore.  
  
"How long?"  
  
"About... a year," he said and winced. She was going to be mad.  
  
She did look a little upset but not to angry yet.  
  
"Why so long?" her voice was a little colder. A lot of restraint in it.  
  
"Well..." he sighed and rubbed his hands on his legs. Why couldn't his hands stay still? "Sis, it's just that I..."  
  
"Were you ashamed of your family?" she said curtly.  
  
"No!" he said quickly looking up at her. "Nothing like that!"  
  
"Are you ashamed of hers?"  
  
"No!"  
  
"Then why did you keep it a secret?" she said simply. Her tone was curt and bitter. Sometimes, he really wished she would yell. It would be easier to handle. She used to yell at dad but no one else, back in their true time.  
  
"It's just that we thought it would be better," he said. "I never planned it to be so long. We just wanted to make sure that everything was going to be okay between us before we throw in all the other equations in."  
  
She just stared.  
  
"I love her Sis. I really do and I don't want you to be mad at me for who I feel in love with," he said. He allowed his voice to rise a bit. One of the few times that he had ever stood up to his sister. Well, he was sort of standing up to her.  
  
Soyna face smoothed a bit. "Is she pregnant?"  
  
He felt himself gasp for air. "NO!"  
  
"Are you planned on getting married?"  
  
"Not yet!" he said.  
  
"Will you marry her?"  
  
"Most likely," he said in a low voice. He wasn't ready to talk about that yet.  
  
"When will I met her?"  
  
"Well, that's the thing," he said. "You already know her."  
  
Her gaze narrowed. "Who is she?"  
  
He was about to tell her, but as he rose his eyes to meet his sister's there was something that he never thought he would see. Fear. He couldn't help but gasp.  
  
She turned to see what he was gaping at and all the color left her face and she sank further into the swing.  
  
................  
  
Trunk's was stunned. What had just happened?  
  
Pan had almost destroyed the training room! All the bots were in rubble, crushed on the floor by excessive gravity.  
  
When he announced that he was home, she just grunted at him, told him that she had to go get Crystal, dinner was in the oven and walked right past him.  
  
Pan had never been this cold to him before. What did he do?  
  
That was it.  
  
He wasn't going to wait until tomorrow night to tell her that he had planned this honeymoon for them. He had been spending a lot of time at work. This would make her feel better. Hell, he even upgraded everything after he found out the travel agent messed up the first bunch and put his name with someone else's.  
  
She would no longer be angry at him.  
  
He hoped.  
  
....................  
  
  
  
  
  
Well, did I leave enough suspense? He he...   
  
  
  
Soyna 


	14. Past Present

Haunting the Present  
  
Part 14  
  
  
  
Past Present   
  
  
  
  
Vegeta was determined that he was not going to let any of the children's problems bother him anymore today. He didn't want to see any of them and had no intention of leaving the house. It was bad enough that he was still thinking about the conversation that he had with Soyna earlier and it bugged him further. More on principle than anything else. How could she even consider the human as compatible now?  
  
But that odd feeling came again.  
  
For the first little while he dismissed it. Or at least tried too. It made him forget really quick about his little argument that he had with Soyna earlier.  
  
He was determined that he was going to enjoy a quiet moment with his wife. He seldom did that and he wanted her to remain in her current good mood. She was sitting next to him cuddled up with a book and her legs folded up beside him while he watched TV. A nice peaceful moment that they seldom had. Especially with all the grandchildren now.  
  
After ten minutes he was really started to feel uneasy. He didn't know what the feeling meant! It was just something was obviously out of sync and he didn't know what it could possibly be!  
  
After twenty, Bulma looked at him with narrowed eyes. "What the hell is the matter with you now?"  
  
"What?"  
  
"You are all tense now," she said putting a hand on his arm. He hadn't noticed that he had done that. He purposely tried to calm down. The feeling was starting to ebb now, but it still lingered in his mind. What could be causing such an uneasy feeling?  
  
"I'm fine," he said simply.  
  
She glared at him, shrugged and then went back to her book, but this time leaning against him. She was making sure that he couldn't take off.  
  
It was probably for the better.  
  
He didn't know what that feeling meant.  
  
....................................  
  
  
Marron was getting impatient. It has been over an hour. Junior told her that he was going to tell his sister after they had supper and then they could get together. Well, it has been over an hour.  
  
AN HOUR!  
  
She was starting to get a little angry with him.  
  
He better tell her today, so that it could all be out in the open and dealt with.  
  
But she wasn't going to sit and wait anymore. She was now inside the compound and a little nervous. She didn't want to just go knock on the door. The only person that knew about it was Trunks so, she figured, it was safe to go talk to Trunks. He would know and could even make a phone call to him... She was so tired of sneaking around.  
  
She knocked on the door and a confused looking Trunks answered.  
  
"Hey," she said. "Can I come in for a bit?" She said.  
  
"Oh. Sure. Whatever. Um. Did you... Did you happen to see Pan on your way over?" Trunks said looking over her shoulder.  
  
"No," she said and looked at Trunks. Boy. He sure looked out of it. "Are you okay?"  
  
"Huh? Oh. Yeah. Fine. Come on in," he said and put on a fake smile. Trunk's just was not a good liar.  
  
"Did you and Pan have a fight?" she asked as she slipped off her coat and made her way into the living room. She felt kind of bad having to burden him with her problems right now, when he was obviously having his own. But, she guessed, Trunks was sort of going to be her father in law, if Junior was ever going to get enough courage to ask her to marry him.  
  
That was a scary thought.  
  
"Huh? Well. I think so?" he said and rubbed his head in a confused manner. "I am not to sure what about though. She. Well. Just. Kind of. I." He sighed heavily. "Don't take this the wrong way Marron, but I am beginning to think all women are crazy."  
  
She couldn't help but press her lips tightly together and give him an angry look. "Oh really."  
  
He sighed deeply, not noticing her angry tone. "I know work is crazy and with this Brennen screwing up Soyna's head, it seems to have got to Pan too. I don't understand my own wife anymore," he sat down heavily on the couch. "You know, I have a huge honeymoon planned for us. I booked everything for us to leave Saturday morning. But she won't even look at me without a glare as of late."  
  
Marron stared at her friend. Boy, he was having problems. She thought hers were bad.  
  
"Why don't you just tell her earlier and I am sure she will forgive you," Marron said. "I think she will be surprised to hear that is what you have been planning. I know that I would be."  
  
Trunks took a deep sigh. "Yeah," A real smile formed on his face. "Thanks Marron." He rubbed his face. "What brings you over here anyway?"  
  
Marron smiled sheepishly. "Well... Junior is supposed to be telling Soyna tonight and he is already an hour late and I was a little worried."  
  
Trunks sighed deeply again and looked worried. "I hope she gets out of this condition soon. It's driving everyone insane! I mean, look at what Pan is doing to me!"  
  
"Well, you can't really blame her," Marron said. "With the appearance of Brennen Pan must be a little nervous."  
  
Trunks looked at her oddly.  
  
"You know. Your OTHER self married someone else. You know. That is what Pan has to be thinking. I know I would be thinking about it," Marron said. It was one of the first things that she did think about when Junior told her. She had even asked Junior what he would do if he had seen his mother. He had just shrugged. She forgot at times that he never got to know her.  
  
It was like a lightning bolt struck Trunks. His eyes lit up with shock and then horror. He jumped up from the couch. "Oh my God! She thinks I'm cheating on her with Soyna's mother!"  
  
Marron slowly stood. Trunk's was looking around the room fanatically as if the woman was going to jump up out of nowhere. "It never even occurred to me! Oh my! I got to go find her."  
  
"Easy there!" Marron said. "Calm down first! You have to find her first. Take some deep breaths."  
  
Marron took a few deep breaths to coach on Trunks and he eventually calmed and followed suit.  
  
"Okay. I'm calm. What should I do now?" Trunks said, the panic returning to his eyes.  
  
"Wait for her to get home and then talk to her. Tell her all about those wonderful plans you have and talk to her. I don't think you have talked to her in a while," Marron said.  
  
She had come her to vent her problems and here she was helping him.  
  
Trunks smiled brightly. "Thanks Marron," he said and gave her a big hug.  
  
She smiled and hugged him back.  
  
........................  
  
Goku stopped where he was. He couldn't remember why he had gone over to talk to Soyna. He did feel like he had to apologize to her for some reason and that he should do it really quick.  
  
He stood there for a bit trying to think about why he had to apologize and was getting a little worried that his memory was slipping again when he looked over and saw the boys dragging along a man that for some reason, he knew should not be here.  
  
Seeing the man sent alarms going off in his head and yet he didn't know him.  
  
He then found himself walking towards the man that shouldn't go near Soyna. Soyna didn't need to become upset. That man should go anywhere near him! It was like there was another voice raging in his head.  
  
He forced himself to stop walking and the voice became clear and growled at him. He knew the voice of Shelong roaring in his head, telling him to move aside and that he must protect Soyna.  
  
Must protect Soyna.  
  
The man would hurt her, Shelong roared.  
  
Goku didn't know how a human could hurt her but that thought angered Shelong's voice even further and he found himself walking. No longer in control and it seemed that he was just viewing the world through his own eyes.  
  
........................  
  
Dende had never been so shocked in his life. He never thought Shelong would or could do that. The fact that he took over Goku's body was one thing but what he had asked of Soyna was unthinkable!  
  
Why?  
  
Dende didn't know what to do. This was getting all too strange.  
  
...............................  
  
  
"Sis?" Junior said. "Stay calm."  
  
Benot grinned widely. "Mom. Look. I brought dad home!" She would be all better after this. He was sure of it. She would get back together with dad and she could...  
  
"Hello Brennen," she said. He looked at her. Why did she still look sad? She should be jumping for joy!  
  
Brennen gave a weak smile and waved. "Uh, hi."  
  
They were supposed to run into each others arms. What the hell was this? "Mom! It's DAD!"  
  
"He is not your father!" Her voice was sharp and full of anger suddenly. Her face even grew dark. He had never seen his mother so angry.  
  
Brennen just gulped.  
  
"What are you talking about?" Benot said. He looked up at his father. "This is dad. The same guy that is in all the pictures..."  
  
"Shut UP!" Soyna snapped and stood up abruptly. Junior grabbed her arms and held her still. She was shaking. This was not how this was supposed to go at all. Not that Legen was helping any. Standing back there not saying anything. What kind of brother was he? Was all he could do was chew on his knuckles? Fry wasn't helping much either, looking like a scared little mouse.  
  
"MOM!"  
  
Her whole face twisted and there were tears forming in her eyes. She opened her mouth to say something but he had to get his words in first.  
  
"You can get rid of Goten now. Dad is back. You don't need him anymore. You can be happy again with my REAL dad!" he said with a grin.  
  
Brennen gulped. "uh, kid. That's not how it works, you know."  
  
Benot ignored him. What did he know? They would be happy together.  
  
"If I would have known, I wouldn't have come but he is very persistent and I thought if I just followed him, I could get him off my back and he would leave me alone. I really wouldn't have come if I knew," Brennen said.  
  
Junior spoke, "that would have been wise."  
  
"What are you talking about they..."  
  
"SHUT UP BENOT!" Mom snapped. Not her normal stern tone, but angry. "You have no idea in what you are meddling with!"  
  
Meddling? He was just putting things right. Getting rid of that silly wish that Legen made.  
  
"Mom..." he started again, but froze. Her gaze was on him and he had never seen her so... so... angry at him. He had done a lot to get her upset, but she never lost her temper. Was she going to loose it now? Just when he was trying to make her happy?  
  
"Go to your room Benot," her voice was cold and distant. Her eyes on Brennen again. Brennen took a step back from him and looked like he was going to run. Mom sure did look scary.  
  
"But I should be here..."  
  
"NOW!"  
  
Her voice seemed to echo. He saw that even his uncle jumped and was wary of his sister. No longer telling her to stay calm, but as if he was almost trying to protect himself.  
  
"Mom," he tried to say something else but lost his words as her gaze turned to him. He just wanted to cry, now. "All I wanted was to make you happy," he couldn't help but let the tears enter his voice and he didn't like that at all. He stood there for a moment. Staring at his mother. Hoping that this would change.  
  
..........................  
  
"GO!" Her voice was so sharp that Benot jumped.  
  
Junior almost jumped himself. He wanted to go comfort Benot. He meant well. The boy didn't know what was going on. He was only trying to make mom happy.  
  
"I hate you!" Benot yelled through his tears as he ran into the house, slamming the door strongly behind him.  
  
"Weren't you a little hard on him," he said to his sister.  
  
She just shook her head. Her eyes now fixed on a very nervous looking Brennen. It was kind of nice to see him again. It has been so long since he had seen him and they had been good friends when he was younger. He almost missed him, ever after what he did to his sister.  
  
He had been a good friend.  
  
He looked really nervous and had a crooked smile on his face. He looked like he wanted to run. He didn't blame him at all. Soyna was looking especially scary right now.  
  
"I really didn't know," Brennen said trying to hide his nervousness but was not succeeding at all. Not at all. "I'll just go now." He started to take a few steps back.  
  
"You have no idea how hard it is for me to even look at you," Soyna said. "After all that we have been through..." her anger melted into a soft tone. He quickly went to keep her knees from buckling. "I never even thought of seeing you again."  
  
Brennen looked confused. "All that we have been through? I don't even know you. You talk as if you know me!" He looked very confused.  
  
Soyna sighed heavily.  
  
"It's rather complicated," Junior said. "It would take a long while to explain how we know you."  
  
Brennen shook his head. "You know me too?" He no longer looked like he was going to bolt. He just looked really confused. "And why did that kid keep calling me his father. I am too young to have kids that old! I haven't had a girlfriend long enough to even think about kids yet."  
  
"Genetically, they are your kids," Soyna whispered.  
  
Brennen blanched and looked like he was going to faint. "What?" He rubbed his hands though his hair. "Okay. I am dreaming this right. I'm not hearing this."  
  
Junior frowned. "It would be better if you forgot about this whole incident." It would have been better if he moved to another country.  
  
Brennen shook his head again. "I don't understand a thing that is happening."  
  
"I will explain it to you," Soyna said and now stood in front of Brennen and put a hesitant hand on his arm. She was smiling at him in a way that she shouldn't be smiling at him. Like she was fifteen again. "It will bring the Past to the Present? Do you really want to know?"  
  
Brennen gulped and nodded his head. He looked more confused than before.  
  
Soyna began to talk.   
  
...........................  
  
Pan was too angry to cry.  
  
How dare he! She could have gotten over him getting involved with Soyna's mother. She could have dealt with that over time. After all, the Other Trunks fell in love with the woman and she couldn't' stop destiny. But MARRON! MARRON! She never thought her -FORMER- friend would betray her like that.  
  
MARRON!  
  
..............................  
  
It was too late! He froze as he watched Soyna talking to Brennen. Damn it. If only he had more control over this body!  
  
Damn Goku was to damn strong at times!  
  
..............................  
  
Goten woke to the sound of a door slamming. He blinked and looked at the clock. He didn't even remember falling asleep.  
  
He yawned loudly and looked around the house. Soyna hadn't come back in yet. She must still be outside. By the slamming door, he was pretty sure Benot was home.  
  
He was glad to see that Flint and Flare were still snoozing and carefully moved them each to the play pen so that they could continue their nap.  
  
He wanted to go check on his wife.  
  
As he opened the door he was dumbfounded. He could not believe what he was seeing. Junior and his wife were talking to Brennen. He knew that there were other people around but they didn't matter. His wife was talking to her 'dead' husband.  
  
A man, that she was not supposed too ever see again.  
  
...............................  
  
"Oh, what is it now?" Bulma said irritably. He barely heard her. The feeling was there again and stronger than ever before.  
  
He stood and walked out. He knew that it had to do with Soyna somehow. It had to.  
  
He wanted to run but he didn't want to rush into something that he couldn't handle.  
  
"FINE" Bulma yelled at him. "BE THAT WAY!"  
  
He didn't look back. He knew that she would be mad. He could always make up with her later. He doubted that he could make up for missing whatever was causing him that odd feeling that was more intense than he had ever felt before.  
  
  
........................  
  
  
Next Chapter....  
  
SILVER BALL  
  
I know you can't wait. 


	15. Silver ball

Haunting the Present  
  
  
Chapter 15  
  
  
Silver Ball  
  
  
Benot wanted to scream and yell and curse, but all he had the strength to do was cry. He didn't understand why his mother was acting the way that she was. It just wasn't right. It was not how he pictured it at all.  
  
He just wanted to know his real father. Was that too much to ask? If he had been smart at the time that they had the wishes, he would have wished for that.  
  
He curled up into his bed and put the pillow over his head and let the tears shake him.  
  
Mom never really yelled at him before. Yeah, she has gotten mad, but she never really got mad-mad. She looked furious. The way that she sometimes looked after she was sparing by herself. When she was fighting those invisible opponents.  
  
It took awhile for the tears to stop, but they did and he hoped that he would just fall asleep and hope that this was all a dream, but the annoying beeping that he heard could only mean one thing.  
  
How could Legen be playing video games at a time like this? And at that volume?  
  
He listened to the noises for a bit and then threw his pillow across the room and stormed over to the video room. He would catch him in the act and beat the hell out of him. It didn't matter that Legen was stronger than him. He was mad right now and he was sure that would give him the advantage.  
  
Of course, when he saw the room was empty, he was confused. Even more confused when the beeping was muted from inside the room.  
  
What the hell was causing all those beeping noises then?  
  
...........................  
  
"This is all very confusing," Brennen said rubbing his head.  
  
"Well, it may seem that way to you, but it is how we have lived," Junior said. He was looking to his sister. She had hardly spoken a word and had keep her eyes mainly focused on the ground. He didn't plan on explaining the whole thing to Brennen, but after awhile. He thought that it was for the best.  
  
He could understand why she reacted the way she was now.  
  
Brennen wasn't too sure what to think anymore. The tale of time travel, poison and betrayal was all a little far fetched for him to handle but then, it could hardly be a lie either.  
  
In another dimension, he had married and betrayed the most beautiful woman in the world and had eventually died for her to save her and the children that she had carried. (His children, but he was not ready to think about that.) In another dimension, he had everything that he had wished for in this one and blew it.   
  
In this dimension, he could never marry her. In this dimension, she had promised her heart to another. In this dimension, he was causing her nothing but pain.  
  
Damn it. He felt like such a fool.  
  
He felt worse when he saw the guy that she his currently married too staring at them like a hurt puppy. The big guy that he always saw her with. He wasn't angry yet, but he was pretty sure that it wouldn't take him long to get his temper going.  
  
Everyone here just looked so damn strong!  
  
Then there was another guy, looking as if he were having trouble walking and a short spiky hared guy looking at him funny. He was drawing quite a crowd. Not to mention the two kids who were gawking at him with big eyes and his two friends who were keeping a safe distance.  
  
"I didn't mean to hurt anyone," Brennen said warily looking at the growing crowd and then back to Soyna. She looked so hurt. She looked like she was really hurting inside and he had caused that. He wanted to leave. It hurt him to see her looking like that.  
  
"No one starts out trying to hurt someone," Soyna whispered. "It just seems to work out that way." She glanced slightly back to her current husband.  
  
"I am sorry," he took a deep pause. Should he apologize for what his other self did? "I am sorry for all the hurt that I caused," that covered all the bases.  
  
Soyna looked at him. "It is not your fault. It is out of our hands how time twists itself."  
  
The man, that was her husband, took a step forward and stopped still on the porch. He looked as if he was almost scared to approach her.  
  
Junior smiled gently. It was supposed to be comforting he supposed, but he was nervous as hell around all these weird people now. Junior was talking to him as if they were friends! He was not very comfortable with that. He didn't know the guy, even though he did look familiar.  
  
It was the guy in the orange jump suit that startled him. He looked furious and the guy with the spiky hair was holding him back. Was he going to attack him?  
  
"What the hell is your problem?" the spiky hared man said to the guy in the orange jump suit. The guy just shook his head and flung - literally flung - the guy away. It was like the stuff you saw in movies or when they were putting on a show at those tournaments. But at least in the movies you knew that it was fake.   
  
"GET AWAY FROM HER!" the guy suddenly yelled in an unnaturally loud voice. "NOW." It didn't even sound all that human. "YOU WILL RUIN EVERYTHING!"  
  
He jumped but he was surprised to see that everyone else jumped too and looked over to the man.  
  
"Dad?" her husband said with a confused look on his face. Dad? Great. Let us get the father in-law involved. He was pissing off the strongest people in the universe and he was a sitting target!  
  
Soyna was the only one that didn't seemed confused but the look on her face did not comfort him at all.  
  
.............................  
  
It was coming from his closet.  
  
All this time, that noise that has been driving him up the wall and keeping him awake at nights, was in his own closet, buried in the back corner.  
  
The ball stopped beeping when he uncovered it from a pile of to small shirts that he had thrown over it. But it seemed to hum to him and want him to touch it.  
  
He wasn't too sure.  
  
It after all was the silver ball.  
  
He was scared to find out what he had ignored and he was pretty sure it had to do with what was going on outside.  
  
..........................  
  
Pan was blind with anger.  
  
Marron.  
  
Of all the women in the world. Marron!  
  
She wanted to rush into that room, separate them, and then kill them both for betraying her. She knew that she couldn't do that.  
  
Well, not right now anyway.  
  
She had to calm down.  
  
Calm down.  
  
Then she would ask for a divorce.  
  
The word stung and made her want to cry. She never thought she would be one of those types of people, but then, she should have known better than to marry Trunks. Should have never been lured by his smooth manner. He had been going through a hard time. He had been torn between his life here a life that he did not know and she comforted him. To much, it seemed.  
  
He had always been looking at other women. He was always jumping from one girl to the next.  
  
What made her think that she was the special one?  
  
.....................  
  
"Thanks for talking me through that Marron. I never would have thought of those things," Trunks said. "No wonder she is acting so weird." He let out a deep sigh. "I can't wait until she hears what I have in store for her. She could put out all those silly thoughts out of her head and we can get back to normal."  
  
Marron smiled and fingered her cell phone. Junior still hasn't called.  
  
"Hey?" Trunks said. "Why the long face?"  
  
She looked at him. She knew that she didn't have to say anything. He knew perfectly well why she had come to him. But she said it anyway. "Junior!"  
  
"Oh."  
  
....................................  
  
Vegeta shook himself. What the hell was Kakarott's problem? First he looks like he is going to shake himself to death and then he starts mumbling to himself.  
  
He didn't like the situation that he was seeing. He didn't have to see that man before to know that it was Brennen from the way that Soyna was standing there. He didn't understand what the hell Kakarott was mumbling about. Something about how he will ruin the chances for him to come back or something of that sort. Stupid words coming out of a stupid Saiyian's mouth.  
  
Why had he become suddenly so protective of Soyna?  
  
That was his job. She was his granddaughter!  
  
He was the one that was supposed to be putting the fear of life into that boy, not him. Kakarott always seemed to take away his glory!  
  
"Back off!" Soyna snapped. Boy, her temper really was bad today. He had seen her snap at her son. He had seen her mad at her boys before, but she never lost it on one of them. That was his job.  
  
Kakarott growled. Literally growled. It almost scared Vegeta. Kakarott did some strange things in his life, but he never acted like an animal.  
  
That Brennen guy started to look like he was going to run. A typical human. Whatever did Soyna see in the guy se would never know. Never know.  
  
"You should leave now," Junior said gently taking the arm of Brennen. "Everyone is getting a little tense around here."  
  
Brennen just nodded.  
  
"Wise choice," Kakarott said with a look of satisfaction on his face.  
  
Vegeta pulled himself up and went to stand by Kakarott. He grabbed his arm but quickly let go. That wasn't Kakarott!  
  
He didn't like where this was going at all.  
  
.................................................  
  
Benot dropped the silver ball and let it roll away from him. He wanted to cry but was so stunned by the vision that still flashed in front of his eyes.  
  
He felt a panicky feeling in his chest.  
  
He had to act quick.  
  
He had to act now.  
  
It was all his fault.  
  
He allowed it to happen. He didn't heed the beeps of the ball. He was to angry at his brother and Goten to see that he wasn't paying attention to the 'warning device' or the stupid silver ball that does nothing.  
  
Well, now he was wrong and it had gone so far.  
  
He had to act now.  
  
Or else he would see his mother and Goten kneeling before Ligh (In the vision, the guy looked nothing like the Ligh that he knew, but he still knew it was Ligh) with glassy eyes.  
  
He had to act now.  
  
Or else he would see Goku going mad and pulling wildly at his hair and screaming like a trapped beast.  
  
He had to do something real quick.  
  
Or else he would see his brother lying limply beside and equally limp body of Vegeta.  
  
He had to act right now.  
  
Or else Legen would be kidnapped and his mind drained and he would die.  
  
He had to act right now.  
  
Only he could stop it. There was no time to expain to anyone about what he had seen. There was no time. That was the reason that it was happening.  
  
It was all his fault and there was only one way to stop it.  
  
That was to stop Ligh.  
  
.................................  
  
Brennen wanted to run. He really did but he forced himself to walk past the crazy looking guy in the orange jump suit and those two kids that were still looking at him wide eyed and went to his friends.  
  
Jamna whispered, "dude, what the hell just happened?"  
  
"Just walk. Okay. Let's get the hell out of here before they decide to do something rash," Brennen said and picked up his pace. Mart looked rather pale.  
  
He just wanted out of here.  
  
He had no intention of telling them anything. They wouldn't believe him anyway.  
  
He was grateful to be outside the wall of the Compound. Very grateful. He allowed himself to give out a big sigh of relieve. "I never want to go through that again!"  
  
"What happened? What did they say, Man!" Jamna said with wide eyes. "Dude, I thought that guy was going to LOOSE it on you. I mean... He was shaking and everything...!"  
  
"I don't really want to talk about it okay, Jamna. I just need to clear my head, so if you don't mind. I would like to go for a walk by myself," Brennen said.  
  
"Maybe, we should just go home," Mart said. For a guy that was usually full of confidence, he sure was acting like a chicken. "Those guys are really dangerous. I don't think we should anger them further."  
  
Brennen just shook his head. "I would rather be alone for awhile. Okay. I will see you later,"  
  
"Dude!" Jamna said in a worried tone.  
  
"I need to think a bit okay," Brennen said.  
  
"It would be safer if you went home," Mart said.  
  
Brennen just rubbed his head. He didn't want to argue with his friends, but he took a deep breath and just walked away. He really didn't want to be around anyone at the moment. 


	16. Wishes and Misfortune

A very long chapter indeed. I could have probably made it into two or three chapters itself but the words kept flowing. My writers block is definitely gone now.  
  
  
Haunt 16  
  
  
Wishes and Misfortune.  
  
  
Gohan was pleasantly surprised to have the whole house to himself and it was so quiet. He didn't remember the last time that it was so quiet. It almost hurt his ears!  
  
He sank into his favorite chair and opened a book and began to read slowly. Something that he had not been able to do for a very very long time. It was bliss.  
  
Of course he knew that it had to end and it would just when he was getting comfortable and into the plot of the book. Fry and the kids would crash through the door any minute now. Videl would get home from shopping with ChiChi. Dad would be back and asking him if he wanted to spar. Goten would come over and ask him what he should do about Soyna.  
  
He smiled.  
  
He kind of liked having his large family always around.  
  
But he did like the quiet.  
  
Of course, he opened the book and the front door opened. So much for bliss.  
  
"Mom! Dad!"  
  
He stood quickly. That was Pan! She sounded rather upset too! "Pan?" he called.  
  
He was shocked to see her come running in the room, looking like she had been crying. His little girl never cried!  
  
"Daddy," she said and threw herself at him. She cried for a bit and he tried to ask her what was wrong. He tried to understand why his little girl was so upset.  
  
Of course, when she did become coherent, he was in the mood to kill.  
  
..........................................  
  
"All of you! Leave me alone!" She snapped and pulled away from her brother and glared at both Vegeta and Goku so hard that they both took a step back. Dad had that stupid confused look on his face again.  
  
"I am not a doll! I do not need kid gloves to be handled. I can take care of myself!" Her eyes were flicking quickly to everyone that was still looking at her. She looked like a rabbit ready to jump.  
  
She was obviously very confused.  
  
He was scared to say anything. He didn't want to upset her further and worse yet, have her upset at him again.  
  
He bit his lip as she turned and looked at him. She froze for a moment and then shook herself out of it and stormed past him.  
  
Was she crying?  
  
He looked at his father who was looking as stunned as he was but did not say anything. He was pretty sure Vegeta was saying something but he didn't much care what he was saying. Junior was trying to say something also, but that didn't matter.  
  
Soyna had just rushed past him.  
  
He turned and went back into the house. She was seated in her chair by the window, where she always sat when she was thinking. She was curled up in on herself but sitting very still. Unfortunately, she had that stuffed cat curled up in her arms. He had wished that he had torn that think up long ago. Hell, when he first saw it. He would have loved to have destroyed it. He did not want a reminder of her past marriage around like that. Well, one that he could get rid of anyway.  
  
"Soyna?"  
  
She didn't even look up. "I will never see him again." He went towards her and she kept talking. "He didn't understand what was going on and now he does. He won't come back. I told him that."  
  
He put his hand on her shoulder and felt her tense for a minute and then she calmed down. She took a deep sigh and finally looked up at him. She had a nervous smile on her lips but that was much better than a scowl. "It's over."  
  
He couldn't help but grin widely at that. He never wanted to see Brennen again in his life.  
  
He knelt beside her and for awhile it was like it was before she saw Brennen again. He rested her head in her lap and she stroked his hair. It was really calming and peaceful. Things were going to be okay after all.  
  
"I should go apologize to Benot," she spoke after awhile. "I was rather harsh on him." He lifted his head from her lap and she looked so sad again. He wished that she never had to be sad. It was just not fair that she had to go through what she has gone though. She deserved so much better. She didn't do anything wrong, just the whole world was against her it seemed.  
  
"I'll go with you," he said and she agreed but other children had different idea's. Flare woke up from her nap and was being very vocal about it. "Okay. I'll take care of Flare."  
  
She nodded and started to head towards Benot's room.  
  
He took care of his daughter.  
  
.................................  
  
"Why am I here again?" Goku said looking and Junior and Vegeta. He could never get over how much Junior looked like Vegeta and right now, they both had stunned looks on their faces. If only Vegeta was a little bigger and then they could be twins.  
  
"Are you loosing your marbles!" Vegeta snapped at him. Thankfully there was only one person that was that vocal and Junior didn't take after him in that aspect of his life.  
  
"What?" He looked at them. Junior was shaking his head.  
  
"Has that dragon scrambled your brain?" Vegeta said and got right in his face. "You are acting as if Soyna is yours!"  
  
"What?" he said and took a step back. "I don't even remember how I got here. I know I was heading home..."  
  
Vegeta grabbed his arm again. "You are not going to get away without any answers! You have been acting strange for awhile now and I want answers, even if I have to beat them out of you."  
  
Goku chuckled. He didn't mean to but the thought that Vegeta could possibly think that there was a chance that he could beat him was very humorous. Of course, the chuckle made him even angrier, and Vegeta's eyes flashed with a fury that he hadn't seen in him in a long time.  
  
"Do you think this situation is funny?" Vegeta snapped and his whole skin seemed charged with energy. He was really mad. Goku knew that he was protective of Soyna, but this was... well, what right did he have to say anything? He had been acting like it was his job! That she needed protection was a joke. She was stronger than Vegeta when she was more focused that Gohan when he was studying his books.   
  
His head hurt and his tattoo ached. He wanted to go home and forget about the weird day and how he ended up always doing something that wasn't very smart. For the first time in his life he felt like he was out of control. Well, that was not true. When he first fused with Shelong, he felt like this...  
  
Vegeta grabbed him again and he didn't try to pull away. Vegeta was never very subtle at trying to get his point across. "You do not go near her again, do you hear me Goku. She is confused enough with out you and the dragon screwing with her mind."  
  
Goku just blinked at Vegeta. He could feel a rage in his belly. It wasn't his rage.  
  
"Let her have some peace. She needs her peace so why don't you let it be!" Vegeta said and let go of him. He acted as if his hands were burnt.  
  
Junior stood there and he look as confused as he felt.  
  
"Get LOST!" Vegeta snapped and then walked into the house that Soyna and Goten shared.  
  
Junior looked over at Goku.  
  
"I really don't know what I did," Goku said to Junior. "I haven't been feeling well lately."  
  
Junior just sighed. "Everything is just so screwed up." Junior then winced and rubbed his forehead. "Man. I didn't get to tell her about..." he stopped and looked up with an embarrassed look on his face and gave out a weak chuckle. "Why do things always have to get worse before they get better?"  
  
Goku just shrugged but he heard that other voice talking in him. Shelong. He couldn't understand it but it was there. He had to fight it. He didn't want to leave his family again.  
  
.......................  
  
Brennen knew that his friends were following him and he chose to ignore them. It was just easier. He didn't really want to explain to them what he now knew about himself. He knew that was what was eating him. He knew that was what was bothering him. Knowing that he could betray someone that he loved. So what if it happened in another time. It was still part of him. Especially now.  
  
He knew that he they thought he was wandering aimlessly in the streets but that wasn't true.  
  
He was following that boy that kept insisting on calling him dad. He had saw him jump the fence and start running away from the compound. He wasn't going to do anything about it at first but then he felt like he should.  
  
He may not be his true father but he was a little part of him.  
  
It was his fault that he was running.  
  
He should do something to try to make it all better.  
  
He knew that the boy shouldn't be out. He somehow knew that he was up to something and that it wasn't good. He didn't care that he looked like a mad man at times, running down the streets trying to keep up with the boy that could have been his son. He had to make it right somehow. He didn't want to do anymore damage to her. He could never be with her or a part of her, but he wasn't about to be blamed if that boy did something because of him. Those men that she hung around were huge and looked like they wouldn't think twice about slicing him up.  
  
Benot stopped and looked at a desolate building. He was breathing hard and looked like he had been crying. Why the hell did he stop? This was no place.  
  
He was close enough that he could hear him panting. "I won't let it happen. You will not hurt mom," he gasped and rubbed his eyes again. "I'll make sure it doesn't. I will stop you Ligh."  
  
Ligh? Who the hell is that? Another player in this twisted game?  
  
"You shouldn't be here!" It was Jamna. He was right behind him. "You really should have listened to me and gone home." He turned to see his friend and he looked at the building and he looked scared. Mart just looked confused and bewildered and -shock- speechless.  
  
"Benot is up to something. I don't want to get blamed for him getting hurt. Did you see those guys?" He looked back to see Benot looking for a way in. He somehow got to the second story fire escape, but the ladder was still up. Well, his mother could fly, why couldn't he?  
  
"You have done what you were supposed to. Back off or else you will get hurt also," Jamna said. "Come on. We'll go get drunk and try to forget that all this ever happened."  
  
He pushed away from his friend. "What is that supposed to mean?"  
  
Jamna sighed. "Come on. Just forget about the kid. It's over with. Come on. Let it go."  
  
"Let it go!! Did you see what happened?" Brennen said. "What do you mean 'I did what I supposed to do?'" He could see how nervous his friend was. What was all this happening now?  
  
"He means, that you did what I wanted and now you are no more use to me." He turned sharply to see a tall lean man standing in front of him with dyed brown hair and fake colored contacts and some very pale skin. "I should thank you for driving out of her children right to me. I don't know how you did it but it seems luck has been working in my favor." He reached into his pocket and pulled out a watch. "I really don't have much time before they get here. She is rather sensitive to her children." He looked to Jamna. "I will take care of Brennen now, if you please. You will receive your payment later. Oh, and take your slack jaw friend with you. I don't need any more problems around."  
  
Jamna was looking at the ground. "Yes sir."  
  
"What? I don't understand. What the hell? You betrayed me!"  
  
"I warned you to stay away from her!" Jamna said quickly. "I warned you that nothing good would come of this! Damn it. I needed the money and..."  
  
"Enough of this," Ligh said (he assumed this was Ligh) He felt an extremely heavy hand on his shoulder and then he felt the world get dizzy around him.  
  
...........................  
  
"Maybe you should go over there. You know how hetic it has been in the last little while. Maybe he got a bit, you know, scared," Trunks said with a gentle smile. Poor Marron looked so distraught. "You know that she is not that sociable as of late. Maybe he just needs a little nudge and I am sure with you being there it would help."  
  
She sighed heavily. "Maybe your right. She can't get that mad at us. I mean, it wasn't like we meant for it to happen or to keep it a secret for so long." She stood and smoothed her skirts. "I guess I should prepare myself for the worse then. Oh!" She looked startled.  
  
He turned to see an angry looking Gohan. Oh man, what did he do to get him mad? Pan was behind him looking just as angry. He opened his mouth to ask them what was wrong when Gohan spoke. His words were full of fury. "You hurt my daughter. That will be the last thing that you have ever done." The whole room began to shake. Gohan was powering up!  
  
"I didn't do anything!" he protested. "Pan! Stop your father."  
  
She just stood there with an angry look on her face. She wasn't looking at him, but at Marron. He had no more time to talk or to really think. He had to defend himself from his wife's angry father.  
  
...........................  
  
The first thing Vegeta heard was her scream as he walked in the door. He felt a panic hit his chest. It wasn't a frustrated scream. It was a startled scream. He bolted immediately to the sound and found Goten staring blankly at her as she knelt on the floor with her hands over her eyes. He stopped in time to have a silver ball hit his foot.  
  
The others must have heard her startled scream as well, for he could feel Goku and Junior behind him looking into the room.  
  
"What happened?" Junior said before anyone else and pushed his way over to his sister. "Sis? What happened? Why are you crying?"  
  
"Benot. He's gone and... the..." she pointed to the silver ball. "We have to go. We have to save him! He is doing something very stupid. We have to stop him!" she stood shakily. Junior had to help her.  
  
"You can't go out!" Goku said from behind Vegeta. "You are obviously not well!" Vegeta was about to turn and snarl at him about what right did he have to stop her from going to save her son.  
  
"I will do what I please!" She snapped before he could speak, but he decided that he better keep a sharp eye on him and was shocked to see that the dragon tattoo of Shelong was moving! Actually moving. No wonder he was acting strange. What the hell was the dragon doing? "We have to find where Benot went. We have to stop him from doing something stupid!" Junior was still holding her up. She was shaking so badly. He wanted to go to her. She did not deserve all this happening to her. She really didn't deserve it at all.  
  
"Where did he go?" Goten said finally snapping out of it and looking around the room. "I didn't see him go."  
  
She shook her head. "He must have sneaked out. I don't know where... the images... they showed... a dark building... I know... it is... it has to be in the city...but I don't know where!" She looked at the silver ball as if it were a snake that was going to bite her. "We have to hurry though. Ligh is trying to drive me mad to get back at me. He wants his revenge and if we don't hurry he will win!"  
  
"Ligh?" Goku said. "He is nothing! You don't need to bother yourself with him. We can take care of it and you can rest before you pass out on your feet!" Vegeta glared at him. He didn't even sound like Goku anymore and he was sure that dragon was moving faster. It was giving him the creeps.  
  
"He is going to kill my son!" She yelled at him. "I have to stop him! We have to stop him! If you cannot help Goku, then you can just leave me alone. Forever!"  
  
Goku gulped and the dragon stopped moving. Did he get a couple of shades lighter? Was there something that he missed here?  
  
"We have to get moving! We have to find Benot before..." She kicked at the silver ball.  
  
They all just nodded and headed down the stairs.  
  
...........................  
  
Goten couldn't get a hold of his mom to watch little Flint and Flare but he was able to get a hold of Bulma as Soyna tried to explain the place that she saw in the vision that the silver ball gave her. It didn't seem to work for anyone else. She was anxious to find Benot and even he was getting worried about it. They finally decided it must be in the north district. They were sure to find such a dark place there.  
  
"Hey! Dudes!"   
  
The looked at the still opened front door and there stood one of Brennen's friends and he felt his anger grow inside him. Why was he back? Didn't they tell them that they no longer wanted to see them anymore. It was just the guy in the loud shirt that stood there. It looked like had been running.  
  
Vegeta glared at him. "What the hell are you doing back here? Haven't you done enough damage around here?"  
  
"Listen strong dudes!" He panted. "Like, that kid, with the purple hair, he is like been, kidnapped by a dude with badly dyed hair. Man... taken by the dude along with Brennen."  
  
Soyna growled. "What? Is this some sort of trap?"  
  
"I don't know, man-I mean miss-but, but like, I had to outrun Jamna to get here, he like, is some sort of traitor and set stuff up... really confusing stuff like, my head is bursting here."  
  
"What the hell are you trying to say! Speak English!" Vegeta snapped.  
  
"I'll read his mind," Goku said. "It will be easier and much quicker and we will find out if he is betraying us."  
  
"Woah man. Don't do that voodoo stuff on me dude," Mart started but Goku's hand was on his forehead and Mart just stood there a little stunned.  
  
"Okay. I know where to go," he said after he removed his hand from Mart's head. "Everyone hold on to me and we will teleport there."  
  
"Wait. We have to wait for Bulma to get here. We can't just let the kids be here alone," Goten said.  
  
"Dude," Mart said a little dizzily. "I can watch them. I mean like, man, this is really strange stuff and dude, I think you should get moving. Brennen is like my best bud. I didn't know who else to turn too."  
  
He looked to Soyna who nodded. "Bulma won't be long," she said. "I could not bear if Benot died because of me."  
  
"Okay, but you treat them well." Goten said and went and grabbed his dad's arm and his wives hand. She was shaking. He didn't know if she was holding back her anger or scared. Her face portrayed both.  
  
"Dude!" Mart said and they were gone.  
  
Standing outside a dark warehouse. He felt Soyna tense up even further. Oh yeah, they were in the right place.  
  
................................  
  
Things definitely were not happening like they happened in the silver ball. Instead of his brother being in the chair with the wires hooked up to his head, it was him! He didn't even see the guy that had grabbed him. He just came out of nowhere and suddenly he was in the chair!  
  
Was he going to end up dead now instead of his brother? Damn silver ball. He planned on destroying it when he got home. If he got home.  
  
He saw his father... well, this time's Brennen, being dragged in by Ligh and thrown into a room next to this one. He yelled for a little bit but it soon stopped.  
  
Then the pain started. The ball didn't mention anything about the pure agony that those wire caused him. He saw the face of Ligh above him and his lips moving. He was asking questions and watching a monitor. He didn't know what was going on other than he was in a lot of pain.  
  
Then the pain stopped and he could hear Ligh's laughter. A low chuckle. "How convenient," he said. "Thank you dear boy. You have just brought the downfall of your whole family."  
  
He still felt sick and weak. His whole body was shaking. "What-what did you do to me?" He was surprised that he even had the strength to speak. It hurt and ached but it at least wasn't like pain before.  
  
"Oh," Ligh said with a smile and looked at his watch. "Just some vital information to get those wishes out of Goku." Benot winced as Ligh did a stereotypical evil laugh. "Oh man, is revenge ever sweet."  
  
"You can't defeat Goku," Benot said and tasted something odd in his mouth. Was it blood? Yeah. There was blood in his mouth. He tried to spit it out but ended up choking on it. Ligh just seemed to laugh harder.  
  
"Oh, but I can. I will. I will get my wishes and you all will obey me or die... whichever pleases me. Of course, you will be dying...I had to turn up the juice on my little machine here," he patted a box that the wires were connected to it. "Even as diluted as your Saiyian blood is, I needed much more force to get the information I needed out of you than an average human."  
  
He was scared now. "Mom will save me," he sputtered and could feel blood oozing out of his nose. He could also feel tears coming out of his eyes.  
  
"Oh, I am counting on it," he smiled and laughed again. "Oh look. Right on time." He looked to a monitor. He could see his mom there with Goku, Vegeta, Junior and the wimp. He was even happy to see the wimp!  
  
"Don't die yet boy. I need you for a little bit longer," he said and started to untie him from the machine.  
  
.................  
  
He smiled as he untied the boy and held him up. He was limp and just about gone, but he knew that he would hang on enough for him to get the wishes out of Goku. The boy had Saiyian blood. They don't just die. He knew that he would last until there was no turning back and then, he would have all that he ever wanted. He couldn't help but laugh again. He never thought he could feel such joy!  
  
.......................  
  
Brennen heard an explosion. It came from the room over, where he saw the boy lying on the bed hooked up to machines. The room where he had heard the boy screaming. It may not be his actual son, but damn it, no one should suffer like that. Especially not a child!  
  
He looked up from the dust. He could hear voices yelling. The door was a jar now and he could see in the other room.  
  
The guy, Ligh, was holding the limp body of Benot against his chest and a very sharp dark looking blade to the boy's throat. "Now, now, let's not do anything rash now," Ligh said in a taunting voice.  
  
He crawled over to the door and saw the people that he had walked away from earlier, or at least he thought they were. A guy that looked like Soyna's husband stood beside her but with yellow hair and the other guy with the bad attitude also had yellow hair. Junior, her brother was bristling with energy and the strange dude in the orange jump suit looked like he had a snake crawling on him. But no one was moving.  
  
"Benot?" Soyna said in a weak whisper.  
  
Benot looked as if he was gasping for air.  
  
"Now. I will deal with you later. I want the dragon! I want my wishes!" Ligh said. "Or I kill the boy!"  
  
"Never!" the guy with the snake on him snapped. "They are not for you!"  
  
Ligh laughed. "Oh come now. You can put whatever conditions you want on those wishes and you can give them to whomever you please. I will place my conditions on you. I will let you all go, even this boy here, if you can save him before I kill him. If I kill him, I get my wishes."  
  
They all yelled at him. Soyna looked as if she was going to cry. She was looking directly at her son with pure desperation in her face. Pure desperation!  
  
"I will not allow it!" The snake man said.  
  
"You don't really have a choice do you. I will kill him otherwise and that would be such a waste," Ligh said. "I don't have anything to loose. You all took everything away from me. You are the ones with everything to loose. The bargin is made. Come and get him!"  
  
Vegeta lunged.  
  
Soyna screamed.  
  
"NO!" he couldn't help but yell as he saw the knife slice the throat of a child! His son. And how he laughed as he fell to the floor with a sickening thunk. He wanted to cry but he wouldn't allow himself to do so. He so wanted to run out there but he knew that he would do no good.  
  
Benot was still breathing but there was not much time left.  
  
"As an extra bonus, I even tipped the dagger with my father's famous poison. He won't be in pain for very long though," Ligh laughed. "I will get my wishes soon."  
  
.............................  
  
Vegeta was frozen as he saw someone from his blood line crumble to the floor in a terrible heap. He didn't mean to lunge. He couldn't help it. It was just instinct.  
  
"He is just a boy!" Junior yelled. "How could you!" It was the first time that he really saw true fury in his namesake. He had heard people say that he sure could look like him when he was angry. This was the first time that he saw it.  
  
Goten was standing in front of Soyna who looked as if she was in shock. Goten looked as if he was going to lunge. Goku was just standing there like an idiot, looking as stunned as Soyna.  
  
"Momma," a weak sound coming from Benot's throat as he rolled over on to his back to look at them. "Momma." He looked as if he was having trouble breathing and he probably was. He remember all to well the paralyzing pain of the poison that almost took his life. How could one boy have so much blood?  
  
"It really doesn't matter to me what I had to do to get revenge," Ligh said and kicked Benot right at Goten. Goten caught the boy and Soyna rushed towards him and they all slumped to the floor.  
  
"You can't... can't," Goku was shaking. "The wishes cannot... NO!" Goku wasn't Goku right then. Vegeta could see it. Vegeta could definitely see it. His eyes were red. There came a roar from Goku, that was like that he remembered from the dragon. Could it have been that simple as to set your own conditions to get the wishes out? Could it have been that easy? After all, didn't the boys set their own conditions to get the last batch of wishes out of Goku?  
  
"You will not live long enough to get the wishes," Vegeta snarled and continued his lunge. He remembered him as a quick man, but not that quick. He lost him for a second and then found him again.  
  
"I can match your speed Vegeta and it seems that the others are a little bit preoccupied with trying to save the boy's life. Come on now Vegeta, come on. See if you can catch me! I can wait a little bit before the dragon bursts out of that mad man over there."  
  
"No one can match my speed," Vegeta said and transformed further and lunged at him.  
  
.............................  
  
"Benot," Soyna said and cradled her son in her arms. "Baby?" She was not hiding her tears at all. She allowed them to flow freely. "You can do it. You are strong. You can't die on me baby."  
  
Junior looked on solemnly and was crying as hard. Goten was having a hard time containing his anger but he knew he had to stay by Soyna. He had to. Vegeta was chasing around that Ligh. God, only knew how that pest got so fast.  
  
"Mama," Benot said, his mouth thick with blood. "I'm sorry."  
  
"No. No. I'm sorry. I shouldn't have yelled at you like that. You had the right to your feeling too. I'm sorry. So, sush and don't die on me okay. Who will keep me on my toes if you die?"  
  
Goten looked up at his father who was pulling at his hair and growling. He knew that the dragon was trying to come out or trying to stay in. One or the other. He looked back down at the kid. "Come on kid. Hang in there," Goten said.  
  
Benot gave a weak smile. "I'm sorry."  
  
And his eyes closed.  
  
................................  
  
Brennen crawled into the room. He could hear that Vegeta fellow and Ligh moving in the room but couldn't see it. He wanted to see if he could help. He felt so useless.  
  
Then Soyna gave out a brief sob and flew into the arms of her husband. Benot was dead. He wanted to cry out himself. He hardly knew the boy, but knew that he did not deserve this!  
  
He was able to see the spiky hared man as well as Ligh now. They seemed to be in a lock. Ligh was trying to stick the knife into Vegeta's belly.  
  
The man with the snake tattoo suddenly screamed. His whole body glowed with a pure white light and suddenly, that tattoo began to come off that guy's skin.  
  
"The wishes are mine!" Ligh screamed with laughter as he still continued to fight Vegeta. In the air. That should bother him, but he wasn't surprised. There was not much that could surprise him now.  
  
Then he saw the dragon start to grow. The ceiling of the warehouse shot off and the wind grew blowing everything around the room. The dragon was huge and gave out a great roar as it swirled around them in a slow lopping motion, looking agitated and upset. "I will grant your wishes," he sounded angry. "Tell them to me now!" and demanding.  
  
"NO!" Soyna screamed.  
  
But it seemed it was too late.  
  
Ligh must have said something but he didn't hear it over the roar of the dragon's movement. Every swirl the dragon made, another piece of the building would disappear. He just heard the dragon growl and say, "It shall be." The dragon's eyes glowed red and Ligh's body gave off a great white light and a wind that pushed Vegeta back.  
  
He found himself sitting by Junior. The only guy that didn't look like was going to kill him earlier. He didn't say anything to him. He didn't need to. He just looked at the body of the boy that was so tenaciously, a couple hours earlier, about how he was his father.  
  
He felt so helpless.  
  
........................  
  
Goten heard the wish that Ligh had made. The typical selfish wish of a villan. Pure power and strength and invulnerability. Soyna still clung to him but weakly. Her eyes turning back to the body of her child. He could only imagine what she was feeling. The boy was a pest, but he never ever would wish death upon him. Not like this. No one deserved what Ligh did to him.  
  
"I have to go fight," he whispered to her. "I have to stop him," he said. He knew that he didn't have to tell her that. She understood. She would be fighting along side him if her son was not dead and she was weakened by her current state.  
  
She just nodded. "It has to end." She went back to holding Benot in her arms, as if that would bring him back. "One way or another. It has to end."  
  
He looked up and saw Brennen crouching beside Junior who was getting ready to fight as well. He didn't feel any anger towards him at this time. It wasn't his fault. Ligh orchestrated this whole thing. He remembered him from school. He remembered that he ignored him quite a bit and hurt him in gym class. He knew that the girls swooned over him and he heard he was quite a manipulator but never really thought anything of it. Well, he was supposed to be dead.  
  
Well, he proved himself to be a masterful manipulator and he was going to end it. Soyna did not deserve to be the brunt of every attack. She did not deserve to be in pain. She deserved to be happy and not have to worry about her past haunting her any further!  
  
He screamed with pure fury and felt a great energy in his body. It felt wonderful and different. He had felt this before and that was when he was fused with Trunks and they ascend to level 3. He had made it there without Trunks.  
  
Ligh was still busy laughing. "Oh. Am I supposed to be scared of you Saiyian's now." He was twirling that poisoned knife in his hand in a precarious manner. He would not allow himself to be touched by that poison again. He only needed to rub his neck to remember how painful that part of his life was. "I made my first wish and nothing can stop me from making the others.  
  
Vegeta snorted. "We have defeated the likes of you before!" He was angry and at level 3 himself. He seemed to be trying to get past that, but was struggling to do so. In the last couple of years he had seen his wife and Vegeta go at it at Level 4 before, even without the artificial moon light. He still didn't understand why she could get that far and he couldn't, even though he could match their strength at Level 2... This was not the time to think of such things. He had to get rid of Ligh for good.  
  
"Blah. Blah. Blah," Ligh chuckled and then called out to the dragon, "I would like to have my second wish dragon!"  
  
"No!" Goten yelled and lunged at Ligh. "We will not let you make any more wishes."  
  
The dragon's roar was deafening as it continued to swirl around them. Something that he never remembered the dragon doing before. He lunged at Ligh and planned on ripping him to shreds! He saw that Vegeta was joining him and even Junior was by his side. That was fine by him. Everyone could have a part of him.  
  
...............................  
  
Brennen looked at Soyna and the boy in her arms. "I am sorry that I could do nothing to stop this from happening."  
  
She looked at him with tear filled eyes. "You could do nothing and I was blind to the going on." She said as she wrapped a scrap of cloth around her son's neck so that they wouldn't have to look at the horrible wound any more. "You were just a pawn that he used to get to me. You would have never known about me in this time, if he didn't place you near me."  
  
The dragon roared above him and he couldn't help but cover his head. He could see the three men fighting Ligh and Ligh seeming to have no problems in attacking and eluding the three. He even seemed to be enjoying it.  
  
"MAKE YOUR NEXT WISH! I AM GROWING IMPATIENT!"  
  
"What can I do to help? Can I do anything to help?" he said.  
  
"No. You cannot. Neither can they," she said as she looked up at the fighters.  
  
"Dragon!" Ligh's voice full of glee as he was in the fight. "My next wish is that I want to...ooph." Goten was able to plant a fist into Ligh's jaw. The first hit.  
  
"Just tell them, that I had to and I will come back when I can, so don't worry," she said with new tears running out of her eyes. He wanted to comfort her so badly that it hurt. "Shelong has asked something of me that I was going to refuse him. Now. Now." She rubbed the forehead of her boy. "I could not live knowing that I could change it so that this will never happen again."  
  
"What are you talking about? Shelong? Is that the dragon?" Brennen said and reached out to her. He touched her arm. "No one should have to sacrifice themselves!"  
  
"Tell them that Shelong has found a way out of the vicious circle that has been created by the wishes. He has asked that his soul be placed into a mortal body, so he could live a normal life, without granting such evil things as Ligh asks. There will be no more wishes from him. No more dragon. His soul will become mortal and he will have peace. We all will," she said as she looked up at the dragon. "It is a great gamble. It may not work and I just may end up being the carrier of the dragon, instead of Goku. It may destroy us all. It has never been done with something so poweful."  
  
Brennen looked at her confused. "I don't understand."  
  
"I am pregnant and the child is still young enough in me, that Shelong can move his being in. I did not want this. I did not!" If it was possible her tears came harder. "I love all my children and did not want to sacrifice one, but now I am forced to decide between two... Brennen you will tell them that I will be back when I can."  
  
He just nodded. He really didn't understand all that much.  
  
"I wish that my father..." Ligh started and was hit by Vegeta. He turned and saw that. But he also saw Ligh take the knife and slice the arm of Vegeta. He saw the man fall almost instantly to the ground and the yellow hair turn to black and began to wheeze for air.  
  
Junior flared up with a scream and he saw his hair turn gold.  
  
"Dragon!" Soyna yelled.  
  
The dragon stopped swirling around them and stopped and looked at her. "Tell them all that I will be back when I can, okay Brennen. You tell them."  
  
He nodded. What else could he do?  
  
"WHAT IS THE NEXT WISH!"  
  
"I will grant you yours if you grant me mine!" She said still stroking the forehead of the boy.  
  
The dragon gave out a satisfied laugh and came closer to her. He doubted that he could be more scared.  
  
"NO!" Ligh said. "I called you! I get the wishes!"  
  
"SO BE IT!"  
  
Brennen could not believe what happened next.  
  
.............................  
  
"What?" Goten said stunned as he watched the whole body of the dragon start to glow red and pulse. "What did she just do!"  
  
Junior, who had just transformed for the first time, lost control of the power that he gained. "Sis! What are you doing?"  
  
Ligh suddenly dropped from the air with a scream. His body was enveloped by the same red light. "No! No!" He was chanting. "My strength! My strength! You cannot take it away from me."  
  
Vegeta glowed next. It was brief but he was no longer gasping for air and his wound no longer bleed. He sat up from where he was and looked around stunned.  
  
The next to glow was the boy.  
  
"SOYNA!" Goten yelled as the glow started to envelope her.  
  
................................  
  
Benot couldn't believe that he was alive. He opened his eyes and saw his mother! His head still hurt and his throat ached but he definitely was alive. "Mom?" he said and blinked a few times. "What? Didn't I die?"  
  
"Be quiet now," she said in a soft voice and a little smile. "You be a good boy now. Don't be such a pest for Goten. He means well, you know."  
  
"Mom?" he said and tried to reach for her but he couldn't. He had no strength in his arms. They felt like rubber. Then he noticed that her body was glowing red. "Mom?" He felt a panic in his chest.  
  
"Be good," she said and suddenly the glow changed to a brilliant white and he felt her move away from him. He saw the dragon around him, now glowing white also.  
  
He felt another set of hands on him. Brennen. What? He looked to see his mom standing above him with tears in her eyes and then all there was was a bright flash of light. No sound. Just light.  
  
Then it was just done.  
  
"Mom?" he whispered. He couldn't see her.  
  
"Soyna!" Goten yelled and came from his place in the sky. "SOYNA!" he screamed. "YOU CAN"T LEAVE ME!"  
  
Brennen helped him sit up. "She told me that she would be back as soon as she could. She made me promise to tell you that."  
  
"Where did she go?" he asked Brennen and only got a shrug.  
  
"SOYNA!" Goten screamed again. Wow. He didn't know that Goten could make it to level 3. Maybe he wasn't such a wimp after all. He even looked like he was powering even higher.  
  
Ligh was whimpering in a pile of rubble. "All my plans. All my well laid out plans ruined by her!" It looked like Vegeta was going to take care of him and was eager to do so.  
  
He closed his eyes. He didn't want to see anymore.  
  
Mom was gone again.  
  
But she said she would be back.  
  
But when?  
  
........................  
  
Next Chapter:  
  
Home 


	17. Home...

Haunt 17  
  
  
  
Home ...  
  
  
He didn't want to believe it but he knew it was true. The girl that fell out of the sky was an older version of his little girl.  
  
He had just said goodbye to his little girl and wife as they were going to visit Carmen's parents in the new city. He decided to stay behind because he knew that he was not welcome there. Carmen's dad still called him a cradle robber and her twin brother was no different. It didn't matter that he could pummel them into the ground and that he was helping to rebuild most of what the androids destroyed. They still did not like him.  
  
And then in a flash of white light, she fell next to him.  
  
He didn't notice at first. She was a hurt woman that looked as if she was run through the ringer and back again. He didn't really think of where she came from and who she was until he got her home and Mom got a look at her. Well, then he noticed the tail. I mean, who else had tails but his family? And the red hair? It had to be Soyna! Had to be.  
  
But he didn't know what happened to her to make her look like that. She was barely breathing and so pale. Then the shocker news that the doctor told them. She was pregnant! His little girl! He hadn't even thought of that stuff yet. His little girl was only 6. SIX! He didn't have to start thinking about being a grandparent for a long time yet! Then the marks started to appear on her skin that the doctor could not explain. Mom knew what it was. She said it looked like Shelong. Once he really looked at it, it sure did look like Shelong. It was so long ago since he had seen the dragon and that was brief. The doctor kept her on oxygen and tried to minimize the medicine he gave her. There was not really many physical wounds on her. That had shocked him. When he found her, her clothes were covered with blood. He thought for sure that she was badly injured.  
  
She was sleeping as far as he knew. Still sleeping peacefully in a bed that they made for her.  
  
He really wanted to know what was going on with her! What happened? Were they attacked again? He thought that was all over!  
  
"You should eat something Trunks."  
  
He looked up at his mom.  
  
"When she gets better, she will be able to talk to us," Bulma said. "Maybe she is here to warn us about something."  
  
"But she didn't use the time machine mom. She fell from the sky!" he said and stared at the food on the table. He wasn't hungry. What came to hurt his family? He thought it was safe to have a life of his own. He thought it was safe to have a family.  
  
"I know dear," Bulma said. "Eat and calm down."  
  
Calm down.  
  
There were just so many questions that had to be answered. So many and how could he let his little girl get hurt like that! It surely was his fault. Was he around to protect her? Who was the father of the child in her belly? How did she get here? More questions circled his head and he knew that he would have to wait and he didn't want too!  
  
"I am going to go check on her," he pushed away from the table.  
  
"Don't look so guilty dear," Bulma said. He stopped. Yeah, that is what he was feeling guilty for not stopping whatever hurt her like that. Why wasn't he there for her? She was his only child! "It's not your fault."  
  
He felt like it was as he walked into the room where they had a bed for her and was shocked to see that the bed was empty. He felt a panic rise in his stomach, like the time that he found nearly drowned by the waterfall, where he had specifically told her not to play. He thought that he had lost her that day and barely got over the guilt of that. For not watching her as closely as a three year old should be watched.  
  
She was no where in the room. He started to run back to the kitchen when he noticed that his daughter room door was open.  
  
He peaked in.  
  
There was the woman that was once his little girl, sitting on the edge of her childhood bed. She was holding on her dolls. It was one of her favorite, if he remembered correctly. It was one that Chi Chi gave her before she passed away.  
  
She looked so sad.  
  
He pushed the door open slightly and the door creaked. She looked up, almost startled but then smiled gently at him. "Hi daddy," she said. Boy, that sounded weird coming out of woman's mouth. She looked so much like Carmen. She definitely had her eyes. The bright calm green that he fell in love with in Carmen.  
  
"Soyna?" he whispered and came into the room. "You really should be out of bed."  
  
She smiled a little wider. "I know. I should be resting." She put the doll back down on the bed. "I just am not good at following doctors orders." She rubbed her eyes and sighed heavily.   
  
He looked at her with great worry. How could she be so sad? He sat beside her. "Soyna?" he said. "What happened to you?"  
  
The smile faltered and she lowered her head. Her thick red hair hiding her face and obscuring her eyes but he knew there were tears in them. "Can I tell you later, dad. I am not really up to it right now. I just want to enjoy being at home for a little while." She still wouldn't look up at him. He forced her to, but putting his hand under her chin.  
  
"Of course," he smiled at her. "As long as you need to."  
  
She smiled again and reached for a hug. He hugged her back and it sure felt awkward at first. He was not used to his little girl being a woman, but it still was his little girl.  
  
"Are you hungry? You should be. Mom, I mean, your Grandma has cooked dinner and there is plenty to eat. Would you care for food right now?" he asked.  
  
She nodded in the hug.  
  
................................  
  
It was a couple of days before she really started to talk. That was when the dragon seemed the brightest on her skin. The green scales of it almost blinded him when she moved her arm in the sunlight. Curiosity was killing him, he wanted to know why his little girl was so sad and quiet. How could such a volatile little girl grow up to be so dark. Can they change that much? He wondered if he changed that much from when he was a boy.  
  
He listened to her soft voice as she started the tale at where Carmen died. He was stunned when she mentioned her little brother that they named Vegeta. She warned him that she must be careful when she gets pregnant so that she doesn't die this time. Carmen had bled to death. "Get the doctor to cut the kid out," she said. "I lost both my parents that day."  
  
As she continued her story, he began to understand. He wasn't around. He left her to raise her own brother with his mom. "You said I looked to much like mom and it hurt you to look at me." She said to explain it. He promised her that he wouldn't do it this time around. "I hope not. I didn't like arguing with you all the time, when you did come back. It took until I met my first husband for us to start getting along again."  
  
He remained silent as she recounted a brief record of how she met her first husband and how they fell in love and how it brought him back into the fold of his family. Then she said that she got pregnant. With Twins. Two boys that were born in the other time. But that was jumping ahead a little. She talked about the arrival of the Wodah's and Krad and how they tricked them. How her first husband had betrayed her. How he was killed by the poison. How she escaped with Junior and how her first husband redeemed himself by sacrificing himself to put her and her brother (his yet to be born son) in the time capsule and send them to a safe time after they got so sick from the poison. She told him how the poison took the first year of her children's life away from her and that Bulma, Chi Chi and the other raised them for the first year as she recovered from the poison. Junior only took 6 months it seemed but still had problems with his eyes after.  
  
"Then all I did was train and take care of my kids," she said. "I learned a lot from Grandpa. He is a good teacher."  
  
He blinked. Grandpa? Vegeta? His dad?  
  
"Don't look so stunned. We got along quite well actually. He said that I was more Saiyian than anyone else. I guess that was why we get along so well. But then, he is also quite protective of me as well."  
  
"Dad?" he said.  
  
"He has changed a lot since you last seen him," she said with a sigh and then moved on with her story of telling him how she blew his OTHER self out the kitchen wall and his friend for startling Benot in the kitchen. She was not to clear where they had been but they had been traveling the galaxy. "I really didn't want to met your OTHER self. We didn't get along for awhile but we worked out our differences."  
  
She talked about the preparing for the tournament that Krad was hosting. She talked about how hard she trained and how everyone kept trying to tell her to slow down. "No one understood that I wanted to kill him for everything that he did to me! Well, Vegeta did, but he still didn't want me to fight him. I guess he was right though. I did go a little far, but it was the only way I could see to save everyone else."  
  
She explained how she sacrificed herself for her children and how she lost her grandfather and a pseudo father by the poison. She didn't want anyone else to be lost as well and so, she finished the job.  
  
She was quiet as she said that. "What do you mean by that?"  
  
"I sacrificed myself. I destroyed him and his ship... I thought I had destroyed everything. I wanted to make sure that there was nothing there left to come back and hurt my family anymore." She sighed. "I missed one though. His son, Ligh. But that's jumping ahead again."  
  
She talked about how her boys had wished her back by tricking Goku to give them the wishes over a card game. She of course had to explain why Goku was in charge of the wishes. He had fused with the dragon some time ago to make it harder to make wishes so that the dragon wouldn't be trapped. She was rubbing the shinny scales on her arms as she spoke of this. Why was the dragon on her body if it was supposed to be on Goku's?  
  
That was all explained later as she talked about how things were so good for awhile. She married her second husband and they had a set of twins together, a boy and a girl. At least that explained why there was another child in her stomach.  
  
She talked about seeing her first husband again and how it so upset her to see him, looking so young and innocent. "It was the first time I realized that I missed him and that I never really mourned his death. Damn it, he even approached me the same way with flowers and later the same damn stuffed cat..." she had to stop for a bit... "and He was so stubborn!" She snapped and the arm of the chair broke off in his hands. "I couldn't talk to him about my first husband! How could I! I..." He knew that she must be referring to her second husband here. She threw the arm of the chair aside as she regained her composure. "It was hard for me."  
  
He could see that.  
  
She shook her head and talked about how Ligh had manipulated everything. He could hear a lot of speculation in her voice and a lot of pain that he would hurt her that way.  
  
"He killed my Benot!" she said finally. "He made his barter with Goku to get his wishes using my son! MY SON! He set the conditions to get the wishes out of him using my son! He killed my son right in front of me!" The tears were flowing down her cheeks. "I had no other choice but to take Shelong up on his request. A request that I didn't want to take!"  
  
She rubbed the dragon on her arms as she explained how Shelong wanted to be free of the curse of the wishes and that the child, the boy, in her belly would be the way out for him. She said that she didn't want to do it, but Ligh gave her no other choice.  
  
"Ligh had made one wish already. The typical wish of all those universe dominating freaks. Strength and invulnerability. He tried to make more. He wanted to bring his father back, but my husband and Vegeta were able to stop him from finishing a sentence. I gave Shelong his wish and I got the last four wishes. My son's life. Vegeta's life. Ligh's wish revoked and my trip home." She sighed. "So I could see you again."  
  
"See me?" he said as he looked at his daughter. "But why?"  
  
"I do need a place to rest for a little while and Shelong and I thought that this would be the best for me. Plus, I could warn you so that at least one Soyna, won't turn out like me," she said with a small smile. "One Soyna could have her dad around all the time."  
  
He felt so bad! He didn't even do those things yet and he felt guilty about how his little girl turned out. She was strong yes, but she still was so weak.  
  
"Well, I won't make the same mistakes twice." He said and looked at the shiny dragon on her skin.  
  
"I need to get my strength back before Shelong will try to fuse with my child. He doesn't want to risk it not working. I don't want to be the carrier of the curse. I really don't. But if Shelong fuses with my child, there will be no more wishes. His soul will be mortal which mean he will die, in time."  
  
He nodded. "What a terrible burden you have," he said and hugged his little girl. "I wish I had been there for you."  
  
She didn't say a word as she fell into his embrace and was soon asleep. He held her as she slept. He was afraid to let her go. She had glossed over a lot of things. She never mentioned the names of her husbands. Just one and two... he would have to find out their names later but she did mention her children and she obviously loved them a lot. Benot and Legen, from her first husband. Benot looked like him and Legen like his father. He got that much. Flint and Flare from her second husband. And the third child, she was sure was going to be a boy that was from her second husband as well. He looked at her stomach. She wasn't showing yet. The doctor had said that she was about three months along. Give or take a month. Of course, Carmen didn't start showing really until she was five months. She was probably the same way.  
  
She did so much on her own.  
  
She had everyone to help her and she was doing it on her own. He knew why too. He trained her to be independent. He had always done, even now, he was telling her that she had to do a lot of things on her own, and then... well, he left her to raise her brother! How could he do that!  
  
He wasn't going to make that mistake again. Not with the little girl in his arms or with the little girl at her grandparents.  
  
....................  
  
He didn't realize that he had fallen asleep as well and when he woke she was gone. He got mad at himself for not being able to detect her, but he knew that she was still in this time. He should have never have taught her how to mask her presence so well!  
  
She was gone for a couple of days before she came back actually looking quite well but he still couldn't help yelling at her! "Where did you go? How could you leave without telling me where you went? Don't you realize that you should be resting." He ranted like that for a bit and she didn't seem a bit phased by it. She just smiled and stood there staring at him. "What are you smiling about! I am MAD at you."  
  
She smiled even bigger. "I know, dad," she said and then and gave him a huge hug which confused the hell out of him. "It won't happen again. Shelong had a few things to attend to and he is impatient as of late." She pulled away and walked into the kitchen asking about food.  
  
Of course when he asked what she meant about Shelong, he didn't really want to hear it. She didn't even look up from her food. "I have only about a week to remain here. We needed solitude to start..." She got a really sad look on her face. "So that Shelong can get his wish! Okay!" She snapped covering her sadness with anger. Did he teach her that? She raised her arm and showed him the tattoo of the dragon. "See, he is starting to fade!" and it was. The green scales were no longer shinny and bright, but looking a bit dull and faded in places.  
  
"I do not wish to talk of it," she said. "I just... Well... I..." she mixed the food on her plate so that it looked rather unappetizing. "I just want to be at home for a little while. Okay."  
  
He nodded. "Alright. Alright. I will drop it." He sat beside her. He was not going to let his little girl turn out like this. How could he let her turn out like this to begin with? He felt like a terrible father. "I did look for you, you know."  
  
"I know," she said with a sly smile and began eating again.  
  
"I will always regret the day that I taught you how to disguise your presence." He said and he meant it. The six year old version of Soyna was very adept at it at times. He could never find her and it bothered the hell out of him at times.  
  
"I'm not that good at it," she said.  
  
"I think you underestimate yourself," he humped and then looked at her. She was shaking and those tears came in her eyes. What did he say?  
  
"He could always find me! Every time I wanted to be alone, he was right there!" She said and used anger to hide her sorrow again. "I told him that I didn't want him around. That I would hurt him but he was always there!"  
  
"Who?" he said.  
  
She just stood up from the table and stormed out of the room. He was about to follow when his mom stopped him. "She is not ready to talk to you about her husband."  
  
"What?" Had she been talking to mom about her past relationships. Her husbands who he still did not know the names of.  
  
"She is feeling a little guilty about leaving the way that she did," Bulma said. "She is thinking that he won't forgive her this time and walk away. She is trying to stop her own pain because she does really love him."  
  
Trunks sighed and rubbed his eyes. "I am so not ready for this part of having a daughter."  
  
Bulma laughed at him. "You never are with any child. She has a week or so to remain with us. Just be a father to her. Do what you usually do with her."  
  
"I can't spar with her. While she is pregnant!" he said aghast that mom would even suggest it.  
  
"Dear, you couldn't beat her anyway," Bulma said. "She is quite a bit stronger than you, even in her weakened state."  
  
"What? And how do you know?" Trunks said. Yeah, how would she know. He knew that Soyna was strong as a six year old but he doubted very much that she could be stronger than him.  
  
Bulma just shook her head. "Go talk to her about it. When I asked her what she did most of the time, she said that she spared with Vegeta most of the time now. She said that they were evenly matched most of the time, but she had the speed edge on him when she got to level 4. Now, I don't think you have yet made it past 2."  
  
He looked stunned at his mother. "I didn't know that there was anything after that!"  
  
"Well, now you do," she said and left the room.  
  
He rubbed his head further. It was amazing how quickly the world could get turned upside down.  
  
........................................  
  
He got to know the older version of his daughter. A little bit anyway. She was quite solemn most of the time and he never got her to laugh even just once. He only tried one more time to bring up her current husband. He was rather curious what kind of man she married the second time around, but she would just shake her head, get that odd look on her face and walk away from him.  
  
That was until the week was almost up. She sat at his favorite spot with the apple tree and the river. Being spring, the tree was full of blossoms, which ordinarily looked so white, but against his daughters hair, they looked almost pink.  
  
"What you thinking about?" he asked and sat beside her.  
  
"I buried you and mom here," she said. "I know that you loved it here so much."  
  
He was stunned by her statement. He really didn't think she was thinking about where he was buried.  
  
"In the other time, I used to come here to be alone. It is there. It was where I could still talk to you and mom. At least I thought that you could hear me a bit. It made me feel better anyway." She said and looked at him. "All I had was a few pictures to remind me of this time and how good things were before everything blew up in my face."  
  
"I used to come here a lot when your OTHER self showed up. I needed to get away from him a little more until I could calm my own feelings of self doubt." She said and turned to him. "That damn man could always find me! He found me here... He asked me why I came here and I told him. I tried to scare him away from me but he wouldn't balk. He kept coming back, no matter how hard I pushed him away."  
  
She stopped for a second.  
  
"Do you love him?" he asked.  
  
"Of course I love him!" She snapped. "I wouldn't have married the persistent jerk if I didn't!"  
  
"Just checking. You don't like to talk about him since you got here. I don't even know his name," he said.  
  
"I do miss him," she said a little more slowly, "... and I just hope he can forgive me for all that I did to him." He just looked at her as she began to draw pictures in the dirt with her finger. "I didn't mean too.... I just..." She sighed heavily and looked at him. "I was starting to have nightmares again. I was starting to think about how things could be if I gave my first husband another chance and I forgot about how wonderful we had it together." She looked at the river as a fish splashed it's way upstream. "I think that is part of the reason Shelong brought me to this time. To open my eyes."  
  
He smiled at his little girl. "I wish I could met this man." He noted that she did not know his name yet. Would she ever tell him?  
  
"So do I," she said with a soft smile. He was about to ask her to come back with him to the house where they could start supper before Bulma did when she gave a startled look to her face and went rigid.  
  
"What?" he said immediately and grabbed her. Was she in pain? What was wrong?  
  
"You can!" she whispered in a breathless voice. Her eyes were as wide as he had ever seen them. She sure resembled the six year old girl tha the was used to now.  
  
"Can what?" he said.  
  
"For a couple of days anyway," she said with a smile and hugged him with such ferocity that he thought his eyes were going to pop out.  
  
"Huh? I missed something here," he said and she laughed.  
  
It was the first time that he had heard her laugh.  
  
.......................... 


	18. ...is where...

Haunt 18  
  
  
  
...is Where...  
  
  
Trunks really wished that he had a normal family at times. He really did. Then things wouldn't have gotten so out of hand.  
  
He rubbed his arm that was in a cast. A present from Gohan. He couldn't believe that his wife had thought he was cheating with Marron. He could understand if she was upset, thinking that his OTHER selves wife had come into his life. He could understand that, but Marron! They never even dated! They were just friends! Plus, Junior and him were together! Damn it! If only they had told people sooner and Soyna didn't know yet. He had not even looked at another woman, since he set eyes on her and now she thinks that she wanted something else.  
  
Once they got Gohan to calm down, which was after his arm was broken and he received another black eye from him and some pulled muscles in his neck and back... he wasn't able to talk. His throat was still sore! It was Marron that calmed him down by saying that she was in love with Junior, not him. She seemed insulted that they would think such things.  
  
He couldn't speak because Gohan had a rather firm grip on his throat.   
  
Gohan just looked at them all confused. "So. Explain it to me again," he said, his grip loosening on his throat.  
  
"I am in love with Junior! We have been keeping it from our families Gohan! Trunks found out and told us that we had to tell people! I came to him for moral support because Junior was supposed to tell Soyna today!" She snapped and pushed by Pan who had been standing there looking like a stunned rag doll. "The reason that Trunks has been 'sneaking around' Pan! Your husband arranged a honeymoon for you and him to go on. He was going to whisk you away without the kids and the rest to a private resort! He just told me that when I came in to talk to your HUSBAND! He was worried about you!"  
  
Pan just stood there and hung her head.  
  
Gohan had finally let him go. He was ashamed that he couldn't even hold his feet and crumpled to the floor.  
  
"JUNIOR IS THE ONE, NOT TRUNKS!" She yelled at both of them. She came to his aid and helped him sit up. Damn it. For someone that hardly trained any more, you definitely did not want to get his dander up! "Trunks is going to be like my father-in-law now!"  
  
Gohan and Pan looked down at him stunned.  
  
Well, it was true.   
  
"Go get Raymond. He is hurt here!" Marron commanded. Boy, she sure could sound like 18, when she wanted too.  
  
Pan had tried to apologize to him but he didn't want to talk to her then. He couldn't even face her after she ran to her father first and not him... He rubbed the cast again. Damn it. He still loved Pan. He could think about nothing but her, but he was still mad at her.  
  
All that, because she thought he was cheating.  
  
He sighed and looked out the window to see his father pacing the grounds. Another weight hit him. Soyna was gone. She had taken the dragon with her somehow and was gone. He had missed that fight. Dad blamed himself it seemed when Junior explained it to him.  
  
She was gone again, but this time, she said she was coming back. She had told that Brennen fellow when she made the wish or command or whatever it was. It was very unusual. But then, when was his family normal.   
  
He almost called out to his father to talk to him, but what would he say. He was more attached to her than he was and it showed in his walk and manner. He was blaming himself again for something he couldn't stop. They were so much alike, it was scary.  
..........................................  
  
Goten sat under the apple tree tossing an apple up in the air and catching it. He came here every day, hoping that she would turn up here. She said that she would be back. It took him a couple of days to digest the information that Brennen had tried to tell them. He didn't understand what was truly going on but he did his best at explaining it all.  
  
He had spent a day looking for her, just frantically flying about and looking for her, FEELING for her and found not even a twitch. It took Junior to come and calm him down.  
  
Of course, he hadn't talked to anyone since and didn't plan on talking to anyone else.  
  
He missed her so badly. It hurt knowing that she left somewhere with the dragon and the horrible thought of how long it took for his father to come back after he fused with the dragon wouldn't leave his head. He didn't want to wait 5 years for her! It would kill him! How his mother tolerated dad leaving like he did, he didn't understand at all! He was ready to crack and it was only a couple of days!  
  
But he would wait. He could think of nothing else he could do, but wait and hope that it won't be 5 years.  
  
.........................................  
  
"I never got to tell her," Junior said to Marron as they sat across the table from each other in the kitchen as they were feeding Flint and Flare their breakfasts. Most of it was smeared over their faces. They haven't been that hungry since their mom was gone.  
  
"What?" Marron said. "After all that, you didn't even tell her!" she said and stuck a spoon in Flare's mouth.  
  
He sighed. "I know. I know. I'm pathetic," he said and looked to her. Everyone else knew now. After Marron broke up the fight between Trunks and Gohan by absolutely yelling that they were together, after Pan thought that Trunks was cheating on her with Marron. What a mess that was.  
  
He had seen Trunks limping from his sister's house after seeing Raymond and how grim he looked. Pan was trying to help him but he kept pushing her away. He really hoped they worked things out. They so belonged together.  
  
"You are truly pathetic," she said. At least she said it with a smile.  
  
"I hope sis gets back soon. I really miss her," he said more to herself than to Marron. He just missed her. It was like she died again. He didn't like the empty feeling that was inside his gut when she was gone. He was all he had for real family left and he wanted her back.  
  
"She'll be back soon," Marron said. "She wouldn't lie about coming back."  
  
He remembered what Brennen said. "IF SHE COULD." Those words were blazed in his mind.  
  
"Plus, she will want to see how you look as a super saiyian," Marron beamed.  
  
He grinned also. It was the first time that he was able to get enough energy to get over that bump. She would be proud of him. He didn't know if she saw it. He hoped she did. Vegeta had even asked him to start training with him. Well sort of. "You are not so hopeless after all," was what he actually said, but it was close enough.  
  
"She'll be back. You know that," Marron said. "And then you can tell her that you are going to marry me."  
  
He stared at her with bright eyes. Marriage? They never talked about marriage yet! She just turned her back and went back to cooing at the little red head who was busy playing with a piece of a cookie in her mouth.  
  
.........................................  
  
Vegeta scowled as he paced. He found himself rubbing the spot where he got poisoned for the second time in his life. He had not forgotten the pain that he endured the first time and he had no intention of getting sliced again. He was stunned by what Soyna said. Absolutely stunned and also was amazed at how quickly everything changed. Another quick battle with hardly any real fighting but it was all ended by Soyna saying that she would grant Shelong's wishes. What wishes could the dragon want? But she was gone again! AGAIN! He couldn't protect her again! What good was it being so strong if he couldn't protect those that are dear to him! What good does it do!  
  
Bulma had tried to comfort him and he did take comfort in her arms for a bit, but he couldn't stay cooped up and he knew that he couldn't find her if he went looking for her. Unfortunately, Goten was the only one that seemed able to find her when she chose to disguise herself and he couldn't even find her.  
  
He just moped around as if he were looking for her. At least he wasn't frantic like he was before.  
  
The boy hadn't even checked on his father yet, he was so distraught.  
  
He looked to the Son household, where Goku was. It was just Goku now, no dragon. Just plain old Goku now. No longer indestructible. Well, at least Vegeta liked to think so. He woke up 2 days later and didn't remember a thing that happened and was shocked to see that the dragon tattoo was no longer on his body. He was even more shocked when they told him what happened and blamed it all on himself for being so weak in the matter.  
  
He did want to blame Goku.  
  
Who knew that the conditions could be changed from situation to situation. They just never really analyzed it that much. Where as Ligh was looking for a way in and he found it. Unfortunately he had to kill Benot for that. Thankfully he was back.  
  
He smiled as he thought of Ligh. He was pleased to see the once quick boy, crumbled at his feet and weak and slow as a regular human. He didn't kill him, like he wanted too. He really wanted to. He really wanted too but he didn't. It was actually more fun watching him grovel and beg for mercy. He had lost his Soyna again and he wasn't going to let him off that easily. Ligh was in a nice cage now somewhere. He didn't care where. He was no longer a problem and could be dealt with later.  
  
Of course the other traitor that Brennen mentioned took a bit more to find. The Jamna fellow. He was in jail with his friend also. They were so full of pathetic excuses that did deserve death. He never thought that he would not want to kill one of his enemies. He has been on this planet for far to long and it didn't bother him in the least.  
  
........................  
  
Benot examined his throat for the millionth time for that day. He still couldn't believe that there wasn't even a scar. Vegeta got another scar, how come he didn't.  
  
He had not really slept in the time since he woke up from his death, with seeing his mother's body glowing red. He had thought it was okay to pass out. He really did. He thought everything was going to be okay after all and it wasn't. When he woke up, mom wasn't there.  
  
She was gone again.  
  
They kept telling him that she was coming back and even Brennen tried to reassure him not that he was too much help. They guy really didn't understand what was going on around him. That was okay. He wasn't supposed to know and his friend Mart, kept say 'dude' and 'man' to the point of annoyance when they came around.  
  
They came around every day asking if she was back. He was always glad to see him but he saw how pensive he was. "I'm not back to cause trouble. I just want to make sure she is okay."  
  
They all tolerated him now. Vegeta just glared at him and the other just nodded their heads and said to have patience. Goten would just glare at him and leave the room.  
  
He felt bad that it was somehow his fault that all this happened because he was led around by his so called friend.  
  
He just wanted his mom back. He ran his hand over his throat again and he could feel the tears welling up in his eyes. He looked over to the silver ball. He touched it three times a day now, seeing if it would show him anything and it hadn't. He didn't get mad at it and throw it across the room though. Just in case. He didn't want to miss anything again.  
  
................................  
  
Goku stared at the setting sun. His whole body felt different. He was used to another presence in him and he didn't realize it. He felt empty now, but also whole at the same time.  
  
He told everyone that he didn't remember what happened, but he remembered quite well. After the shock of the dragon leaving his body, he heard her say that she would grant the dragon's wishes. He saw the dragon smile and do just that. He knew what the dragon wanted too. He didn't know why he didn't know while they were joined but it came clear once they were apart.  
  
He felt guilty that he couldn't stop her. That there wasn't another way.  
  
Brennen had fumbled over the words that she had told him before she vanished. He just hoped that she really would be back soon and it wouldn't take her 5 years before she found her way back home.  
  
...................................  
  
Gohan looked over to his daughter. She looked devastated. It was all his fault for not being rational. For wanting the relationship to fail. He just wanted an excuse to attack and he did. Well, he did some pretty bad damage to Trunks before Marron set him straight and made him feel like a royal idiot!  
  
Boy, did he feel like an idiot.  
  
He may have just destroyed there marriage.  
  
He couldn't help how he reacted. His daughter was crying! He knew that violence was not the way that he should have handled the situation. He knew that all to well! But he couldn't help it. His little girl had come to him in tears...  
  
He sighed.  
  
He had apologized to Trunks a few times but only got a cold stare. Boy, he had Vegeta's look when he was upset.  
  
Pan had come over an hour ago, but hadn't said a word to anyone. She was just sitting there, staring at the garden and chewing on her lip.  
  
If only he knew how to fix it.  
  
.............................  
  
Trunks wouldn't even look at her and she went to talk to her father, but he looked so guilty, that she didn't want to make him feel worse.  
  
Pan felt so foolish for thinking that he was cheating on her. She knew now that it was just Ligh's manipulation of her. It kept him at work late and left false trails. Ligh himself admitted that at least one part of his plan worked and that was destroying their marriage.  
  
It may have worked too!  
  
Trunks looked so crushed that she would even think that he was cheating especially with Marron. Of course, Marron was just as upset at her to think of her as such a slut!  
  
She went to talk to her mother for a bit and that didn't make her feel better before she walked home again. Or at least, tried to walk home again. She stopped at the pond and sat throwing stones in the water for a bit.  
  
She wished she hadn't been such an idiot!  
  
...................................  
  
Goten didn't really want to be home, but he didn't want to wait out in the woods for her either. The house was quiet. The kids were asleep and it looked as if Junior and Marron were cuddled up on the couch. He didn't want to disturb them as he went up to his room.  
  
Then he felt it. A familiar feeling. It was Soyna! There was no other way to explain it! He knew that feeling and it was upstairs. He darted up the stairs and he felt it again! He wasn't dreaming! He flung open the door of the room that they shared and saw her lying in the bed, covered with the blankets, but it was his wife! She was back! She had come back! It didn't take her five years! It had taken her 7 days!  
  
"Soyna," he whispered and approached the bed. He hoped she was okay. She looked a little paler than normal but was reassured when she opened her eyes and smiled at him. "I am home," she said and then closed her eyes again with a large smile on her face.  
  
A smile that he had not seen for a long time.  
  
He smiled also and sat beside her on the bed and gave her a kiss on the cheek. He restrained himself from wanting to pull her from the blankets and swing her around and yell for joy and all that other stuff.  
  
"So, you are her husband."  
  
He sat up straight and turned around to see that out of their adjoining bathroom, came out Trunks. An uninjured Trunks. Did he get a sensu bean? He didn't know to much of the details but he was pretty sure Gohan put one hell of a beating on him. Trunks didn't look like he had been hurt.  
  
"Trunks?"  
  
"I have been wanting to met the man that has won my little girl's heart," he said and walked over to him and held out his hand. "She never told me your name."  
  
He took his hand and shook it. This was not the Trunks that he knew. This was the Trunks that she knew. He was facing his father-in-law for the first time and it was quite unnerving. "Goten. How? I mean..."  
  
"I'll tell you later. We have to talk first, Goten."  
  
Talk? "About what?"  
  
"My daughter," he said simply and looked down at her. "Someplace where it is quiet. The trip back here drained a lot of her energy."  
  
"Sure," Goten said blinking. "Trip back here? What? Trunks?" he said.  
  
"I am a little bit hungry, I never even thought of eating yet today. Is there some food in this house."  
  
He nodded and led his true father-in-law downstair. 


	19. ...the heart

Haunt 19  
  
...the heart ...  
  
Trunks could see how nervous Goten was as they left his daughter in the bedroom to sleep. She sure got pale real quick when they arrived and nearly collapsed. She insisted that she was okay and that she just was glad to be home before she swooned again.  
  
She looked kind of disappointed when she didn't see her husband in the bedroom, but that changed as soon as he walked in.  
  
She really did love him.  
  
"How did you get here? I mean, Where did she go?" Goten said and not really looking at him. He looked so confused. Poor guy. He brought out a bunch of leftovers from the fridge and started to heat them up.  
  
They ate as he explained what he knew. Which really wasn't that much when he thought about it. He just knew that she wanted him to come with her for a little bit and Shelong allowed it.  
  
But that was not what he wanted to talk to Goten about. "She is worried about you."  
  
"Worried?" Goten said and scratched his head. Boy, he looked familiar but he just couldn't place the guy. He knew that he didn't know him from his time. At least he didn't think so. "About me?"  
  
"She is worried that you will be mad at her for all the time that she pushed you away. That she may have gone to far this time." He said in a stern but gentle voice. He really didn't know what kind of man he was, but he didn't look like he would hurt his daughter on first impression. He knew better than to just go on first impression though. "And she is especially worried about how you will react to her..." he didn't know another word... "sacrificing your child for Benot." He had listened in on her talking with Bulma. She wouldn't tell him this stuff but since become a father, he had learned how to eaves drop, quite well.  
  
Goten rubbed his head again. "I never really thought of it that way," Goten said and sat down. "I guess that is what happened, huh?" He sat silent for a bit. "I was only worried about her. I mean, I was worried about the baby and all, but, you know. I was worried that she wouldn't come back. When Goku fused with the dragon, it took him five years to come back. Well, nearly six, but it was a very long time. I didn't think that I could be without her for that long."  
  
Trunks nodded.  
  
"I went searching for her everyday and I couldn't find her. I could always find her - well, most of the time - and it really disturbed me quite a bit," Goten said. "She doesn't deserve to go through any of this alone, even though she tries."  
  
That was his daughter all right. She never thought that she needed any help.  
  
"We will work through all of it together," Goten said standing up. "No matter what the obstacles are, and no matter how hard she pushes me away. We never know what the future can hold for us but I know that I won't leave her. I know that she doesn't mean to do the things that she does. She can't help it though."   
  
"You sound like a good man," Trunks said.  
  
Goten looked a little shocked and then laughed slightly. "Hey, I almost forgot that you are my REAL father-in-law."  
  
Trunks smiled. "You just treat my little girl right."  
  
"I have never done anything but that, um, sir," Goten said. He looked all nervous again. That was all right. He was glad to see that she had married such a good man that obviously cared for her a great deal. A great deal. "I promised her that I would stick by her side and I don't plan on changing that. Ever."  
  
Trunks smiled brightly. That was what he wanted to hear. "I am glad to hear that."  
  
There was a moment of silence between them and Trunks couldn't help but wonder why he was so familiar looking to him. Maybe it was just because he wanted it to be that way. He didn't know and it really didn't matter. He looked like a guy that could stick by his daughter, as stubborn as she has become. He promised himself that he could make sure that his little girl didn't turn out like the older version.  
  
Goten stood. "I should call Raymond," Goten said and went to the phone. "Just to make sure she is okay. I mean. I wouldn't want something to happen to her. She is more fragile than she lets on at times."  
  
He just nodded to that. She never would admit when she was to hurt to go on. He knew that all to well! His stubborn little girl would do the same thing to him, when they spar and he got a little carried away. Bulma always said that she acted just like Vegeta did. She would insist that she was okay and go on with the fight, or at least try too. Just like Vegeta.  
  
"Who's Raymond?" he asked after he got off the phone. She never mentioned a Raymond.  
  
"Oh, Bra's husband. He has sort of become our local physician, even though he didn't want that," Goten said.  
  
Was that supposed to explain who Raymond was? Oh well. He had other things to worry about.  
  
"I would like to see my grandchildren," he said. He felt kind of odd saying this. "I may never get another chance to see them." This part he was nervous about. He so wanted to see them, for all that he did to his little girl and how alone she was for most of it. The children that he never got to see.  
  
"Well, only Flint and Flare are here right now and they must be sleeping. You could go peak on them. Legen is over with Fry right now and Benot is over with Bulma and Vegeta. Benot doesn't really want to be around me right now." Goten said. "How long are you here for?"  
  
Trunks sighed. "I think I have 3 days, I could have up to five." No matter how long it was, it was never going to be long enough to make up for all that he did to her.  
  
"Oh!"  
  
He turned and saw a pretty blond girl enter the room. "Trunks! What are you doing here? Your arm! Did you get a sensu bean?" she rushed over to him and grabbed his left arm and touched his cheek. "Your eyes isn't swollen either! Were you able to talk to Corin and Yajerobi?"  
  
"Uh?" he said and took a step back. He did not know this girl, but she seemed to know him. Was his other self hurt?  
  
Goten pulled Marron back. "Uh, Marron, I didn't know you were still here."  
  
"Oh. Well, we didn't even hear you come home, much less Trunks come over. You look a little dazed. Are you okay Goten?" she said and pressed her hand against his forehead. He backed away.  
  
"I'm fine," Goten said then smiled brightly as if he had just remembered the most wonderful thing. "Soyna is back! She is upstairs right now. She is sleeping. I just called Raymond to check on her. She looks like she is okay."  
  
The blond squealed. Literally squealed and gave Goten a big hug. "I'll go tell Junior."  
  
"Tell me what?" Junior said as he walked in the room and froze.  
  
He knew the boy on sight, from what Soyna told him and what his gut told him. That was his boy. He stood and looked at him. He didn't know what to say. This was a son that he had abandoned as much as his daughter. He looked so strong and boy did he ever take after his grandfather. Spiky hair and everything. Expect for the green eyes. He definitely had his mothers green eyes!  
  
Junior dropped the glass that he was holding. "Dad?"  
  
He smiled.  
  
He knew it too.  
  
"Hi," he said. "I brought your sister home."  
  
................................  
  
The phone kept ringing but he didn't want to answer it. It was most likely Pan again calling from her parents place. He rubbed his sore arm and sighed. He just wanted to sleep and forget that it ever happened. Tomorrow he would talk with her. But not tonight.  
  
................................  
  
Turnks looked in on his two grandchildren who were sleeping nicely together in their cribs. The girl sure looked like Soyna when she was that small. The boy, sure looked like his father! They still had their dark reddish brown tails curled up behind them. He wanted to scoop them up but he stopped himself. These were grandchildren that he was never meant to see. It was too late to go see the other two, but he would see them in the morning. He really wanted to see them now. He felt as if his time here was rushed. There was so much to see and so many people to talk too.  
  
He did want to go talk to his father. He had no idea what he would say to him, but he did want to thank him for watching over his daughter as if she were his. He knew he could get that much out of his mouth. He remembered how stoic his father was last time. He hoped he was a little more open than that.  
  
That Raymond fellow and his... well... sister was here. Bra was frantic when she saw him asking him, why he took his cast off and he got a glare from Raymond until Goten explained who he was. It took a while for him to get over the shock as well. He never knew he had a sister. He knew his mother and father remained in this time together, but he never knew that he had another sibling.  
  
Raymond was currently checking on his daughter. She did look better than she did when he first laid her down, her color was much better and quite a bit of the dragon escaped from her skin.  
  
"Dad?"  
  
He turned and saw his nervous son. Was he always like this? "Yes," he whispered as he closed to door. He knew how precious sleep was for the little ones.  
  
He rubbed the back of his head and gave a crooked smile. "It's really good to see you." His eyes were on the floor. "I missed you a lot." His voice cracked. He felt pain in his chest. What did he do to his children?  
  
He patted his son on the shoulder and looked at him in the face. He was not going to make the mistake that he did with them. He was not going to repeat it. He was not going to end up with broken children. They did not deserve this! And his son wasn't even born yet and he felt so bad... He would make sure that they would not loose their mother and this Krad was dead before he could even see the planet earth! His eyes must have gotten dark for a second because he saw a confused look on his son's face.  
  
"I'm sorry," was all that he could say.  
  
"Sorry for what?" Junior said. They all called him Junior here, instead of his real name. They didn't want to upset Vegeta Sr.  
  
"I didn't want to have you miss me," he said. "It won't happen again.  
  
Junior smiled a bit. "That's good. You don't know how hard it was growing up with a sister like her," It was a humorous smile. "I won't miss the arguments you had. You were the only one that I ever heard her yell at. Well, most of the time." He smiled. "She sure is happy that you are here."  
  
He could hear some hushed voices coming from the room. Goten and Raymond were talking about something, he could see them by the door. He wondered where his (OTHER SELVES) sister and his son's woman went too.  
  
"Um, and dad," Junior said. "Well, Sis, doesn't yet know about me and Marron yet," his voice was hushed. "So, don't say anything until I tell her, okay."  
  
He raised his eyebrows. "Sure, son," he said. Why was he keeping his relationship secret? Oh well. He didn't need to understand this time. "I am just going to take a peak in on Soyna and do you think that Vegeta will still be up and about. I would like to talk to him."  
  
Junior looked at his watch. "I would be shocked if he was sleeping. I don't think he has slept since Soyna left and I think he would be relieved to hear that she was back too."  
  
He went into the room and saw that Soyna had changed into a pair of pink flannel pajamas. He could never get her to wear pink! They tried but she always insisted that it be green or black. Sometimes she would wear red, but that was as colorful as she would get. She smiled as soon as she saw him. She did look better.  
  
"You look better," he said. "You should wear pink more often."  
  
Did her cheeks turn pink? "They were a present from Benot. I think he is a little color blind."  
  
"You rest now," he said and gave her a kiss on the forehead, like he did to the smaller version he was used to, "and I will see you in the morning."  
  
"Will you be okay?" she asked.  
  
"Fine. As long as you get some rest," he said. That seemed to satisfy her as she curled up in the bed again.  
  
He turned to see Raymond and Goten looking at him. "How long are you staying," Raymond asked.  
  
"A couple of days," he responded and Raymond got a dark look came on his face as he said that.  
  
"I was hoping it was longer. She really doesn't listen very well to me," Raymond said. Bra had entered and gave him a gentle tap on the chest at that comment. "Well, she doesn't. None of your family does! It is as if they have a death wish!"  
  
He didn't doubt that. It seemed at times that they did.  
  
"If you don't mind, I am going to stay with her," Goten said. "I don't really want to leave her alone right now." He almost blushed a he said this.  
  
"Sure." He said. "Junior already promised to show me around." They all left the room and let the husband and wife be alone with a word of caution from Raymond. "Do not upset her. I don't want to have to put her in the hospital or give her any more sedative." The words were directly at Goten who just nodded and promised.  
  
................................  
  
Her eyes were bright as she sat up in bed as he joined her. "I..." was all that she managed to get out before he grabbed her and kissed her. He didn't want to talk. He was just so happy that she was back. His wife! She was back! She had given him the saddest look that he had ever seen and all he could think of doing is kissing her.  
  
They finally parted and he just grinned at her. She looked at him with confused eyes. "Your not mad at me?" her voice was that soft voice that she talked to the children with it or when they were alone in bed.  
  
"Why would I be mad at you?" he said. "Your back."  
  
She rubbed her hand and he could see the faded tattoo of Shelong there. He knew what she was thinking.  
  
"I had a talk with your dad." He said. "He sure is different from the Trunks we know here. He is so worried about you and he wanted to make sure that I was okay for you, I guess," she saw her stunned look on his face, but they could talk about that later. "I know what you did, you did because you saw no other choice. I saw Benot with his throat cut and I... well, I didn't know what to do. Ligh kept making his wishes and the dragon wasn't listening to us, but he listened to you...I was so worried about you," he gasped on his words. "I am glad to hear that you were not alone."  
  
"Shelong thought it best to go where I was the happiest to recover and rest for a little while," she said. "He knew I still pined for that time and my old home." He could never blame her for that. Her home was here now, but that was her childhood home and she was happy back then. With her father and mother. A happy little family. He was just happy that she came back. "It has helped sort through a lot of anger that I had and made me realize that I have a lot to make up for."  
  
"You are back. That is all that matters," he said and he meant it.  
  
"I am sorry for saying that it was just a wish," she whispered and looked at the mark on her hand again. He was stunned that she was still thinking about it. It had been so long ago it seemed that she had said that. "Without the wish it would have taken me a lot longer to open up to you though. It allowed a bunch of walls to come down that I had pushed up, which was why I was in so much pain and my head hurt. Seeing Brennen snapped the wish. It was broken and it snapped me too. I was torn between two of me. The warrior and the woman that I was trying to be. Shelong understood and was trying to help me, but then, he also had other motives for his behavior and it didn't help that Goku didn't understand what he was trying to say to him. A wish had never been broken before and it created a great deal of trouble inside Shelong, which is why he asked for his freedom and... I... I ... I never meant to say yes." She rubbed the spot even harder as if she were trying to rub it out. "I do love you Goten, no matter what was going through me head before. I could only think of you when I was with my father back home. I wished you were there. I wished you could met my real dad and that you could see how good things were when I was little. You could see that I wasn't always so cynical," she sighed. "Does that make sense? I am not even sure what I just said."  
  
He smiled at her and pulled her close to him. "Everything is going to be alright now. We will work through this pregnancy, even if I have to tie you to the bed and hope the best for the child. But no matter what, you won't be alone."  
  
...............................  
  
"Wow," Trunks said as he looked at the compound. "This is a pretty big place. So, the Son's and the Brief's all live here together? Wow? I never thought that would happen."  
  
Junior smiled, "Well, it just kind of was easier, with all the kids and stuff always running between houses. Trust me, I wasn't too happy at first! Goten and I had to total revamp ChiChi's garden and we had to leave it. A whole weekend of slave labor lost and then we were kind of forced to rebuild it here!"  
  
He looked confused. All the kids and stuff? Why would that matter?  
  
"That is Gohan and Videl's house over there," he pointed. Wow, Gohan got married! "Over there is where Goku and ChiChi live. That house there, well, that is Trunks and Pan's. Pan didn't want to be to far from her parents."  
  
"I'm married in this time?" He said. He wondered who this Pan was. And where was her parent's house?  
  
Junior just grinned. "I don't think I could deal with that story in one night. Let's just get you over to see Vegeta."   
  
They walked past the garden, which was quite beautiful, with the ponds full of fish. Wow, what a wonderful place to be.  
  
"Trunks!" He turned around and saw a slim woman with long dark hair looking at him. "Trunks!" She rushed at him and threw herself at him. He caught her and she kissed him fiercely. "I am so sorry. Please. Please forgive me. I was so stupid!"  
  
He was to stunned to reply and looked up at Junior for help. Junior looked a little taken aback at first but then could see a smile on his face. Great, his son had a warped sense of humor.  
  
"Uh, Pan?" Junior said.  
  
"Well, say something will you!" Pan said and shook his shoulders. "I'll do anything to make it up to you! Hey! What is your problem! Don't look at me like that!"  
  
"Uh, Pan!" Junior said as he grabbed her arm and gently pulled on it.  
  
"Go away Junior. I need to talk to my husband, here!"  
  
He gasped. "HUSBAND!" this was the girl that his other self was married too! Oh great.  
  
"Don't sound so shocked," she said and was now standing above him as he still sat on the walkway path. "Hey, did you get a sensu bean or something. You don't have your cast on. I am really sorry for talking to daddy before coming to you! I just lost my temper! Forgive me?"  
  
"Pan..." Junior said and got shot a death glare. Woah. Did all women have that look? They must get taught that look from their mothers. His wife even had that look and he didn't care that he could turn into a supersaiyian. He never wanted to piss his wife off to get that look again!  
  
"Well, I am not the Trunks that you think that I am," he said. Boy, that sure sounded lame.  
  
"What the hell are you talking about?" she said and put her hands on her hips. "There is only one Trunks that I know and you are it."  
  
"Well, Pan," Junior said. "This Trunks is not the one you know, this Trunks is my..."  
  
She turned and glared at Junior. "This is NONE OF YOUR BUSNESS Junior." And then turned back to him and her eyes suddenly welled up with tears. "I am so sorry for accusing you Trunks. I just missed you so much and you were spending all the time at work... I thought that I lost you and I lost my mind."  
  
"Um, okay," he said and started to stand, wiping the dirt off his clothes. "But I am not the person you should be talking too."  
  
That anger came into her face again. "What the hell are you talking about!"  
  
"PAN!" Junior said sharply. "This is my dad! He brought Soyna back."  
  
She got a weird dazed look on her face and blinked a few times at him.  
  
"Nice to met you," he said and watched her faint dead cold.  
  
Junior grabbed her before she crumpled to the ground. "Well, that went well," he said with heavy sarcasm. Boy, he hoped that he could get all these people straight soon. He didn't want anyone else thinking that he was this other Trunks and from the sound of it, he needed to have a sensu bean.  
  
He was also curious as to who her father was, if his other self needed a sensu bean, the guy had to be strong...he would think about it later.  
  
.................................. 


	20. ...is

Haunt 20  
  
...is  
  
He finally was able to sort through who everyone was. He was really shocked when he learned that his OTHER self had married Gohan's daughter. That was not expected. Not expected at all, but that was not the biggest shock of all. The fact that his daughter was married to Goku youngest son, Gohan's brother shocked the hell out of him and it took him a little bit to digest that. He quickly got over the fact that his son was dating an andriods daughter even though he couldn't help but frown at first at it. He still had a lot of bad memories about that. He kept thinking of that man that he talked to in the kitchen was Gohan's brother! It was amazing that things could be so different.  
  
Junior and Bulma had talked him through all of that.  
  
It seemed that Vegeta went for another walk and wasn't back yet. He was grateful to be filled in on the history gaps that she left out. Of course, he saw, why she left them out.  
  
Mom had made him a cup of tea to calm his nerves and he needed it.  
  
Soyna married GOHAN'S BROTHER!  
  
"What the hell are you doing here at this time of night?" There was no other person that could be but his father. It was good seeing him again. He looked different from the last time that he saw him, but he was still the same old guy.   
  
He stood and smiled. "I brought Soyna back," he said and saw the absolutely stunned look on his face and the look of shock. He didn't think his father could look that way.  
  
......................  
  
Soyna was back? He was about to ask how he knew that but the look on Junior's face told him that this was not the boy that he had raised. Well, raised wasn't quite the right word. Been around.  
  
"Isn't it wonderful!" Bulma beamed "and we get to see Trunks again! He wanted to see his grandchildren!"  
  
"When did you bring her back? How long ago?" he asked of the OTHER Trunks. He searched and he couldn't feel her, but then, she was so good at doing that.  
  
"An hour or two," Trunks said looking at his watch.  
  
"How did you bring her here?" he said.  
  
"Well, actually, she brought me here," Trunks said and moved some hair out of his eyes in the same way that his son does it. They weren't all that different in some ways.  
  
"How?" he demanded.  
  
"Well, it's a little complicated. We were talking about her children and I told her that I wished that I could see them, in case I screw up again..." his voice dropped a bit, "She said, she would like that and then Shelong said that it could be done."  
  
Vegeta growled. He did not want to think of the bargain that she made with the dragon. He had thought that he lost the one that really understood him. He thought that he lost his grandchild and it hurt and he ... he shook his head. "Where is she?" He didn't want to think about that. She was back. ALIVE.  
  
"Oh, she is back at the house. Raymond ordered her to rest," Junior said with a great smile that made him look like an idiot.  
  
He turned.  
  
"Don't you bother her Vegeta!" Bulma snapped! You leave her rest!" she said in her annoyingly stern voice. He stopped. "You can see her in the morning!"  
  
"I would rather not wait!" he said, knowing that he would pay later, but it would only be a short period of suffering.  
  
"Dad, I mean, Vegeta, I'll go with you," Trunks jumped up. He couldn't help but frown but nodded. After all, he was Soyna's father.  
  
..........................  
  
He could see that he was nervous around him. Just like before. "Thank you for taking care of her, Vegeta," he said as they slowly walked.  
  
"I have done nothing of the sort. She is a big girl and is fully capable of taking care of herself," he said, which was true. She was so strong willed. A girl after his own heart.  
  
Trunks stopped and sighed. "You were there, when I was not!" he said. "When I was stupid enough to let my family slip through my fingers and not even realize it, until it was to late to do anything about it," he sounded rather mad at himself. "I should have been there for her, but you took over that role. She speaks of you quite fondly," he said and looked up at him through his long bangs.  
  
"She is very strong willed," Vegeta said. "She never spoke ill of you," which was true. She always spoke of him with a fondness. He didn't understand it at first, but then he began to understand a bit. He himself was abandoned, much younger than her. His father died though. Hers just left. He never hated his father for what he did. He didn't like him for it, but it was not hate. It was the same with her. "You cannot help what comes from the heart."  
  
Did he just say that?  
  
Well, it was true. Damn it.  
  
"I am just glad you were here for her. I cannot imagine how she would have turned if you were not here," he said and started to walk. "I made her hard enough. I would hate to see her turned to stone."  
  
The boy was feeling a lot of guilt. A feeling that he did not allow himself to feel. Bulma tried to get him to, but I was not appropriate. He made mistakes, he knew that all very well, but he was not going to regret what felt right at that time.  
  
"How old is Soyna in your time right now," he asked.  
  
He stopped walking again. He smiled. "Six. She is so different than the woman with ... 5... children. Man. I never thought she wanted kids!"  
  
"So, quit feeling guilty over stuff you have not done yet," he said in a firm voice. "She is fine now. Unfortunately, she is married to that goof, Goten, which was against my better judgment."  
  
"He seems nice to me," Trunks said and stared to walk again. "He obviously loves her."  
  
Vegeta grunted. Yeah. He knew that. He also knew that she loved him. She always gave him that look that he sometimes saw Bulma giving him.  
  
Trunks stopped again and looked towards the house that his OTHER self shared with Pan and their daughter. "I can't believe that I married Gohan's daughter. That is really spooky."  
  
"Believe me, I was even less of a fan of that!" he growled. He was almost glad that his son finally got pummeled by Gohan, even if the reason was wrong.  
  
"I mean, she is not even my type!" Trunks said and shook his head. "I guess my other version is a little different from me."  
  
They started to walk again. He did not want to hear about his OTHER son's love life.  
  
.......................  
  
Morning.  
  
Benot hated every morning that came. If he had not been so stupid... if he only had talked... if he hadn't got in the clutches of Ligh, mom would still be here.  
  
He missed her terribly.  
  
He had not gone to school since she left and had no desire to do so yet. He knew that Legen and Fry were still going to school. Legen seemed to think that she would be back soon and he didn't want to fall behind in his studies. "I don't want to spend my summer making up for a few weeks of missed school work. She'll be back soon. Quit fussing about it, Benot. Mom always comes back."  
  
He sometimes really hated his brother. Even though he hoped he was right.  
  
He touched the silver ball, like he did every morning now. Hoping that it would show him something. Show him his mother but it did not show him anything. He would just get a slight tingling feeling in his fingers and a flash of a headache that left him as soon as he removed his fingers. He caught a few people touching it, but didn't say anything about it. He knew they were all worried about his mom.  
  
He felt like it was his fault... he didn't act properly on the stuff he saw.  
  
He missed his mom so much.  
  
He would have like to go searching everyday with Goten if his pride didn't get in his way. He saw how he would look tired every morning as he tried to look cheerful. He saw how late he would come home, looking crushed every time. He almost asked Goten to take him, but... he just couldn't.  
  
He slowly ascended down the stairs and prepared for another dreary and lonely day.  
  
"Oh, here is Benot now," Bulma said.  
  
Trunks looked up at him with a big smile and there was a look of shock on his face. "Wow, he really does look like me!"  
  
What the hell was he talking about? He stopped and stared at Trunks. "Did you loose a couple of marbles when Gohan beat you up?" Trunks looked stunned and looked at Oma.  
  
"He's got a mouth on him too," Oma said with a touch of disgust in her voice. "Benot dear, this is your REAL grandfather. He brought your mother home last night!"  
  
It was his turn to be stunned. This was his grandfather. Mom was home! "WHY DIDN'T ANYONE WAKE ME!" he yelled and ran out the door. He could feel the tears running down his cheeks as he ran home. "MOM!" He most likely made it in record time. There she was! Standing there in her usually slightly baggy jeans and snug green t-shirt, her hair combed back in a neat braid. "MOM!" He jumped into her arms and heard her laugh as she hugged him. He couldn't talk. He cried.   
  
"Easy on her," he heard Goten's voice. "She still is recovering."  
  
He backed off and wiped the tears off his face. She did look a little pale, but he wasn't going to worry about that right now. She was back. Everything was going to be okay now. She was back!  
  
She ran her hand over his throat. "I am so glad to see that you are well," she said and knelt beside him. "I missed you."  
  
Whatever little control he had over his tears was gone and he started to bawl again.  
  
It took him a little while to get over it. It took him awhile to understand the other thing too. "Part of the reason, I have been so nuts, is that I am pregnant again. You are going to have another little brother."  
  
Those words caused him to blink. Another kid around here! "Hey!" he said after awhile. "Aren't you not supposed to have kids for awhile? I mean, I thought Raymond said..." he stopped when she raised her hand.  
  
"It wasn't planned. But everything will be okay. I promise," she said.  
  
"Well," he said crossing his arms. "Goten better not do anything else to hurt you!"  
  
Goten dropped the cup that he was holding.  
  
Mom just laughed.  
  
.............................  
  
Goku was stunned. She was back. He was glad to hear that she was back as Fry was babbling something else too. She was back. He so had to apologize to her. He didn't know what was going on inside of himself.  
  
He couldn't forgive himself for allowing the dragon to be transferred. He felt empty without the dragon now. He felt as if he had failed and he thought that he possibly may have.  
  
He as supposed to be the guardian of the dragonballs. No one was ever supposed to get another wish. But there were wishes made.  
  
"Isn't it great grandpa!" Fry said with a huge smile. "Aren't you going to go see her?"  
  
He smiled and tried to pretend that he was not feeling the level of guilt that he was. "Maybe later." He turned and walked away from his grandchild. He had to think about all that happened and it wasn't to clear in his head.  
  
Vegeta's words had haunted him. It was the first time he really heard the voice of the dragon and it was also when Vegeta yelled at him "*you are acting like she is yours*."  
  
Of course, he did not remember acting that way until later, when he recovered from the loss of the dragon on his own body. He remembered what he did. He should have seen that the dragon was restless. That the wish that held him close to his family, did not hold the dragon and he sought a way out and found one in the child that Soyna was carrying.  
  
"Grandpa? Are you okay?"  
  
He looked down at Fry who was giving him a confused look.  
  
"Fine. I just need to clear my head for awhile," he said and it was so true. He doubted that he ever felt such confusion before and he never knew how much it could cloud one's mind.  
  
......................  
  
Trunk's was so confused over this new apology from Pan. He was ready to tell her that he forgave her and that it was just all the confusion that Ligh created that caused all the problems. He wasn't ready to hear her say, "I thought it was you, that is why I kissed him."  
  
Of course, when he saw his other self, he understood, but he spent a good part of the afternoon in utter confusion.  
  
He was glad to hear that Soyna was back but really had no desire to go see her. She had her real father near by. He did not need to disturb her with his appearance.  
  
Plus, he was using Pan's guilty feelings and taking full advantage of them. He didn't have to raise a finger for a thing. He knew that it wouldn't last long and was more than happy to let her jump at his ever whim for a change. Of course, he planned on taking full advantage! Her father injured him, because she jumped to conclusions! He was sure that he had about a month of this before she will stop the babying.  
  
He was very happy that things were calming down around here.  
  
.........................  
  
"Dad?" Goten said as his father walked into their house, without even knocking. He looked stunned as he looked around him, as if he were sleep walking. His eyes fastened onto Soyna and then onto Trunks.  
  
"I am sorry if I am intruding," he said in an uncharacteristic low voice and he looked like he was going to bow and leave. Goten was to stunned to see his father this way to say anything, it was Soyna that acted.  
  
"It's okay Goku," she said simply. "I am not mad at you. It was not your fault." She said.  
  
Goku rubbed the back of his head with his hand and almost looked like a child again. "I..." he looked so unsure of what he was going to say next.  
  
"It's really okay Goku. I understand what torment you were going through." She said and walked towards him. "Shelong talks to me and I understand."  
  
Goku sighed and smiled brightly. "Really!"  
  
"Really."  
  
He looked at them confused and he could see that Trunks was confused also.  
  
"Your baby," Goku said with a pained look all of a sudden.  
  
She frowned also, "Time will tell," she said. "Come, met my father," she said, "and quite feeling so guilty."  
  
Goku smiled but he still looked a bit uneasy. He could see that he was eyeing her arm. It is where you could still see the green of the dragon on her skin.  
  
It was fading quickly, but it was still there.  
  
.........................  
  
  
Trunk's was quite impressed with his son. For someone that said that he was not that strong or that good of a fighter, he was pretty evenly matched with him. Of course, it made him realize how far behind he was everyone else in this time.  
  
Soyna said that he would get stronger, when they became competitive, but he didn't feel like it was enough compared to his father and even her husband and his OTHER self. He could feel the differences.  
  
But it was good to spar with his son. It really felt good. This technique was very similar to his own, which shocked him, even if it was a little more polished and he could see some of his sister's moves in his style as well. That quickness and spark that she seemed to have, even at a young age, that seemed to make up for the lack of strength. Of course, she no longer had that problem.  
  
He wished he could spar with her, just to see what it was like... but knew that couldn't happen. He could not let her get hurt anymore, no matter what age she is.  
  
Of course, while he was thinking this, he became distracted and was quite shocked to see his son, Vegeta Jr., use an attack that Soyna had just learned. Well, his six year old had just learned. He didn't know where she got it from, but it caught him by total surprise last time that they were training together. That stupid Solar Bind. He heard him yell and saw the binding light come at him and he knew that he should move but he couldn't and was caught.  
  
"It worked!" Junior yelled and he didn't think he could look so happy. He didn't realize that his hair was gold, it seemed.  
  
"You didn't tell me that you could ascend!" he said as the bind slowly started to deteriorate.  
  
"Huh?" he said and looked up and then smiled. "Oh yeah! I just learned how not that long ago! Cool huh!" he said.  
  
He felt like such a weakling!  
  
................................................  
  
  
.......Five days passed....  
  
"It is a shame that I have to leave you," he said and looked down at his daughter. He was getting used to her looking like an adult. He really didn't want to leave. He saw such a change in her over the past couple of days that he saw hope that his little girl had not turned to stone, the way she was with her children... he didn't want to go.  
  
"I would love you to stay too, father, but you know I have to send you back," she said and put her hand on his chest. "You stayed much longer then you should have anyway."  
  
He smiled and leaned down and kissed her forehead. "You listen to that nice doctor and behave." He heard her laugh slightly. "I will miss you."  
  
She did not say anything, but he felt her go grim. He knew that she would miss him even more; after all to her he had died.  
  
"I will not make the same mistakes." A promise that he kept repeating and even had a few nightmares over.  
  
"I know," she said and straightened herself. "I have to send you now dad. I love you."  
  
"Part of my heart will stay with you." Where her hand was on his chest started to feel warm. He covered her hand with his own. "Take good care of the new baby and yourself."  
  
"You know I will," she smiled. "Stay alive to see your grandchildren."  
  
The tingling and warmth grew. He looked over and waved to the extended family that he didn't know existed. They waved back too him. He was going to miss them all, especially his little girl who had grown up much to harshly because of him. It was a mistake that he was not going to repeat. Things were going to be a lot different from now on.  
  
Images started to overlap, the houses of Soyna's home morphed into his until he was standing alone on the lawn, a couple of feet away from his house, his own hand still holding her imaginary one to his chest.  
  
He was back where he belonged.  
  
He sighed. He was going to miss everyone. He had always felt alone here, until he found Carmen. Carmen had been the only thing that had kept him form going insane. He was sure of it. Now, if he still lost her, he knew that he was not truly alone. They were there for his daughter, when he was not. He was not alone.  
  
"Daddy!"  
  
He smiled and saw his little Soyna running at him, holding a small bag as he ran towards him. She was wearing a new outfit that her grandmother bought her. He was surprised to see that it was very similar to the clothes that she had been wearing when he was forced to leave her, the simple slightly baggy jeans and a green T.   
  
He just wanted to cry as he hugged his little girl.  
  
"I was looking every where for you? Where were you?" she said and slapped his shoulder.  
  
"Checking on some old friends," he said. "But I am back now and I will never leave you again."  
  
She gave him a funny look. "Whatever, dad."  
  
He wanted to cry even more.  
  
......................... 


	21. Forgotten Present

Here is the last chapter of INE-haunting the present  
  
  
  
Enjoy all.  
  
  
  
  
Haunt 21  
  
Forgotten Gift.  
  
  
  
He had forgotten all about it! He remembered now though. He had rushed out and bought it the time that he didn't understand why Soyna was mad at him and had it wrapped in the most expensive wrapping paper the store had. He didn't remember shuffling it away but it must have got forgotten in all the fuss that was about.  
  
Goten grinned as he held the package.  
  
He could hear one of the kids, most likely Benot running upstairs. Soyna was ringing that ever increasing annoying bell. Raymond had told her that it was bed rest. Not even walks. She was driving everyone crazy with that little bell of hers! But then, she was not one to lay still and he really thought that his wife was getting fat. Of course, he would never say that to her. She would most likely jump out of bed and insist on training again, despite the fact that they don't know what the consequences would be for loosing the child. What would Shelong do?  
  
He shook his head and held the package.  
  
This would cheer her up.  
  
She was turning into a grump again.  
  
The bell was ringing again.  
  
"IN A MINUTE MOM!" he saw Benot run down the stairs grumbling to himself.  
  
They were getting along much better now. Benot never called him a wimp or a jerk anymore. It was actually Goten now. He was still curse and sometimes disobedient, but nothing like before. He would listen to him. There was still some work there but he knew that it was going to be better.  
  
Everything seemed so much better.  
  
Without the dragonballs being trapped in Goku anymore, Goku seemed more spry and was able to transform again, much to the delight of Vegeta, who gained an almost unwilling sparring partner, which kept him from bugging Soyna who would look longingly at the flashes of light coming from the gravity room.  
  
Trunks and Pan finally had their honeymoon. It wasn't what Trunks had planned but it turned out better than they thought. They went and spent a year in the time chamber. After everything that happened, they needed the time and they were defiantly much happier when they came out and Pan was much fatter as well. Their child was due the same time as Soyna now. The 'incident' was never mentioned again.  
  
Especially by Gohan who still felt extremely guilty for acting so rashly. He no longer even joked about Trunks being to old for his daughter, or cradling robbing and never even dared to pat Trunks on the back. He felt so bad for over reacting like that.   
  
Junior even was training now, happy over the sudden shift to super Saiyian and wanted to maintain it. He was still not really up to caliber with anyone else yet, but he was eager to learn and was a quick learner. He was pretty sure that Vegeta was even proud that he was training. Or rather "It is better that my name sake be a fighter than an office wimp." He guessed that meant that he was proud. Vegeta was so hard to understand at times. Junior no longer hid his relationship with Marron. Soyna was not really upset over it but she did not approve of it for a bit. He thought it was more the fact that she did not know about it than the fact that she was part of the android that she still had problems with. But she now approved. It was funny listening to Marron talk about marriage and what kind of dress she was going to wear. You could just see Junior sweat!!  
  
Ligh was no longer a threat, even though he still lived. He was in jail on an unrelated charge but he wouldn't be getting out for a long long time. His strength and speed were stripped from him and he was no stronger than a normal human and would never be any stronger than one.  
  
Everything was much calmer, expect for...  
  
"Where is my water! I AM thirsty here!"  
  
His wife bellowed from upstairs and he saw Benot dash back up the stairs, spilling water from the glass as he went.  
  
He decided that he better save Benot before she gets too testy.  
  
He walked up the stairs and cautiously looked in the room. He had to be careful, she did have a tendency for throwing things and blaming him for her current condition. He didn't dare mention that it was partly her fault as well. He got a good jab in the ribs for that! He thought that he still had the bruise there.  
  
"Thank you," she said as she took a glass of water from her son, who looked at her with a confused look on his face. He was having a hard time understand his mothers mood swings.  
  
He understood that as well. With the last kids, she was able to move and take out all those strange moods swings out in the training sessions. Here, she was trapped in bed, so they were getting the full brunt of the attack of the mood swings..   
  
There defiantly were not going to be any more kids!  
  
"Hi?" he said and entered the room. He put the fancily wrapped box, behind his back as he walked in. She was getting large! She still was not as large as she had been with the twins, but this time, she had a level of pudginess in her face that he thought was adorable, even though he would not dare tell her that. There was no way in the world that she could look ugly to him, but he didn't want her to start thinking that.  
  
"Hi" she said with a big smile.  
  
Benot just shook his head and walked past him. "Your turn!" He looked exhausted. Probably was. The kid worked so hard taking care of his mom. Sometimes too hard.  
  
"I found something," he said and walked closer to her.  
  
"What?" she said and that angle to her eyes increased. Boy, she didn't like surprises.  
  
"I bought you a present a long time ago," he said. "When you first told me you were pregnant, well, I didn't know that you were pregnant yet, you were just mad at me. It must have gotten shuffled away in the chaos that was our lives, but I found it." He brought out the box and showed it to her. Her eyes lived up and she held out her hands. She opened it carefully with a smile on her face. Too carefully! Damn it. He hated people who opened presents slowly.  
  
She finally got it open.  
  
"OH!" she said and was still smiling.  
  
"Legen said you would like it," he said.  
  
"It's rather expensive!" she said but still daubed some on her wrists. The smell of the perfume quickly filled the room and boy, he didn't remember it smelling that good in the store!  
  
"I thought it would cheer you up," he said and sat on the bed next to her and gave her a kiss on the cheek. Sometimes, she wouldn't even allow him to that. But at least her mood was much better. You can never argue with a woman who is eight months pregnant.  
  
"You can be thoughtful," she said.  
  
He just smiled and started to clean up the wrapping box.  
  
She began to reach over to the end table to place the bottle of rather expensive perfume on the night table and gave a startled "Oh!" and nearly dropped the bottle on the floor. He caught it time, he gave her an annoyed look but that quickly changed to worry.  
  
From the look on her face, they had other worries now.  
  
..................................  
  
Vegeta stood tapping his foot as they waited for news on Soyna and the month early surprise delivery that was occurring. They were all worried.  
  
What would the child look like? Would there be anything wrong with the child?  
  
Vegeta, Bulma, Goku and ChiChi were the only ones at the hospital. Well, besides Raymond and Bra, but Raymond was her doctor.  
  
They didn't want anyone to know, until they knew what was going on.  
  
Bulma grabbed his arm and pulled him down into a chair and told him not to worry, but her voice was distant and his thoughts were on his granddaughter and worried thoughts about what the child was going to be like.  
  
Goku smiled nervously and his was the last voice that he wanted to hear! "She will be fine and so will the baby. Shelong has always been good to us," he said but quickly slumped his shoulders. He did not believe the words that he was saying. He was worried also that the boy was going to be just a carrier of Shelong, like he was and Soyna was for a short period of time. He prayed that the child would not be born with that snake tattooed across his little body.  
  
Bra sat next to him. "Don't you worry dad. She is to strong to worry about." She spoke with such confidence. Yes, he was worried about Soyna, but not as much as he was worried that the dragon had lied to her.  
  
Six hours later, his confidence was shattered and so was everyone else's. It was brought up briefly as Goten appeared but the look on his face caused all hope to smash against the floor.  
  
It wasn't for another hour and then Raymond appeared. They all stood with anticipation and he wanted to pounce on the man for news. He smiled brightly. "Everything is great. Congratulations Goten, you are a father to a new baby boy!"  
  
"And Soyna?" Vegeta asked curtly.  
  
"Resting. She won't be able to spar for awhile, but she will be back to normal in a month," Raymond said just as curtly and then in a nicer tone, "You can go see them now."  
  
Vegeta wanted to rush in there, but Goten had greater urgency than he did.  
  
............  
  
Goten rushed into the room to see his wife, actually looking very well. She was holding a small bundle in her arms.  
  
"Finally," she said with a smile.  
  
"Is he normal?"  
  
He glared at Vegeta and his lack of tack.  
  
Soyna did not seem to mind.  
  
"Yes," she said.  
  
Goten looked down at the child and was shocked at what he saw. The child hair was green! Green! Was the dragon's influence? "My grandfather on my mothers side had green hair Goten. Don't look so shocked." She said and held the boy up to him. "He doesn't have a tail."  
  
That was a shock. Flint and Flare had tails. He wondered why he didn't.  
  
The child opened his eyes. They were the same as his mothers, the most brilliant green and beautiful green in the world. His new boy. He was so disappointed when Bulma pulled the boy out of his hands and started to coo at him. "Have you got a name for the boy?" Chi Chi asked. They knew she was ready with HER suggestion. Thank god he was never named Einstein!  
  
Soyna nodded and looked as if she were dozing, "Cyrus."  
  
..........................  
  
  
  
This is where I Shall end this part of the tale... I hope you will all be interested in another part coming... Actually 2... be patient. They will come.  
  
  
  
Soyna (syna@3web.net) 


End file.
